Curriculum Vitae
by 3rd.Apple
Summary: Warning: Spoilers for second half of S10. My take on what could happen in the first SG1 movie. Sequel to A Familiar Face & Strength from Within.
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: Stargate and its characters are not mine, I'm simply borrowing them for my own, and my readers', entertainment. No copyright infringement intended._

_A/N: Okay…so here's the third and final installment of a trilogy that started out with 'A Familiar Face' as a stand alone. But people wanted a sequel…and they got two…I'm ahead by a chapter and a half so I'm hoping to be able to post once a week. Hope you all enjoy this newest adventure!_

_Spoilers: 703 "Fragile Balance"_

**Prologue –**

The streets of Colorado Springs were quite busy for a Sunday morning. Sure it was spring, but it seemed rather early on a Sunday for so many people to be up and about. Jack glanced at his watch yet again. 0858. Two more minutes. With a quiet grumble about having to be up this early himself, Jack went back to his Sunday newspaper.

"I know it's been four years, but you've lost your touch Lieutenant." Jack said without looking up from his paper.

"Being stuck in the body of a teenager will do that to you Jack."

Jack had a smirk on his face when he finally looked up at the young man in front of him. "It's good to see you Jon." He said as he stuck his hand out. After shaking hands, he motioned to the chair across from him. "Have a seat." He waited for Jon to settle before speaking again. "So…" Jack folded his newspaper and motioned for the waiter. "What brings you to Colorado Springs?"

"I want a transfer Jack."

The waiter chose that moment to come over. Quickly placing their orders, the two men waited until they were alone again before picking the previous conversation back up.

"Transfer to where?" Jack asked, being purposefully obtuse.

"You know where Jack."

"Humor me."

"Peterson."

"Why Peterson Jon?" Jack sighed.

"You know very well why." Jon almost snapped. Jack raised an eyebrow. "You're assembling special teams, I want in."

"No."

"Why the hell not?" Jon said between gritted teeth. "You know that I'm more qualified than just about everyone else you're assembling."

"How do you even know what's happening at Peterson, Jon?" Jack asked, while keeping an eye on their surroundings.

"You've recruited my roommate from the Academy."

"Look, Jon, I understand how frustrating the last four years must have been for you. But for reasons that I cannot disclose to you at present, I cannot give you that transfer."

"You have no idea how frustrating the last four years have been Jack. My life was taken away from me and I was forced to live out a life that wasn't mine."

"Hey, it was your choice to go back to high school."

"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it." Jon finally snapped.

"That's enough Lieutenant!" Jack barked.

Jon's mouth snapped shut as he glared across the table at Jack. The two sat in a tension filled silence until the food arrived.

"What about Cheyenne Mountain?" Jon finally broke the silence once the waiter was gone again.

"You won't get the team you want." Jack said without looking up from his paper that he had again picked up.

"Why not?"

"It already has five members, three of which know who you are, and two that don't. It would cause too many problems."

"You Son of a…"

"Watch it Lieutenant." Jack's voice was calm, but held a warning that Jon couldn't ignore.

"So I'm just supposed to stay in Kansas and ignore the fact that I know a lot more about what is happening than I can let on."

"I didn't say that." Jack said over his coffee mug.

"Then what are you saying Jack? You'll have to spell it out, 'cause I'm not as smart as Carter or Daniel."

Jack chuckled a little at that. When Jon glared at him again, he lowered his mug and cleared his throat.

"Ever since you graduated from the Academy I've been expecting to have this conversation. I'm just surprised you waited this long."

"What can I say? I wanted to do things on my own."

"Didn't want to come crawling to your uncle for a favor huh?" Jack smirked again.

"Something like that."

Jack nodded and slid a folder across the table that had CONFIDENTIAL stamped across the front. Jon looked up from the unopened folder in askance. Jack simply nodded at it, indicating that Jon was to open it. Taking the hint, Jon opened the file and read its contents. After a few minutes ticked by, Jon looked up from the file with confusion etched across his young features.

"Are you serious?"

Jack nodded. "Daniel will fill you in on the details in a briefing tomorrow. You'll leave for your new assignment in 48 hours."

"So soon?"

"It's a long trip and your only way there leaves in 48 hours."

"And my stuff?"

"Already on its way here."

"My transportation?"

"The F304."

**Λ**

"I don't care Sergeant. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

Jack smiled as he heard the voice coming through the door. Hesitating only a second, he rapped sharply on the office door.

"Enter." Came the gruff reply. "Sergeant, you make the decision, I don't want to hear about this again." Landry set the phone down a little harder than necessary as Jack entered his office.

"Having fun yet Hank?" Jack asked as he tried unsuccessfully to hide the smirk on his face.

"Remind me again, Jack, why we became Generals." Hank grumbled as he smiled and shook Jack's hand.

"So that we can have the honor of flying a desk and answering the top 100 dumbest questions." Jack laughed. "So what was this one? Commissary menu or paint color?"

Hank chuckled with Jack as they spent the next several minutes reminiscing about the good old days when they had been asking the dumb questions instead of answering them.

"Not that I'm not enjoying this trip down memory lane with you Jack, but I have to ask: what brings you down into the depths of Cheyenne Mountain?"

"Lt. Jonathan O'Neill has a briefing today with Daniel regarding his transfer to Atlantis. So I thought I would take the opportunity to personally update you on our progress at Peterson."

**Λ**

"Does SG1 know?" Hank asked as Jack finished his update.

"Not yet."

"Oh this should be fun."


	2. The Discovery

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N: Sorry about the delays guys. I meant to post this a couple days ago, but the site wouldn't let me upload my document. Anyway...here it is...hope you enjoy. Please R&R!  
_

_Spoilers: 215 "The Fifth Race" 703 "Fragile Balance" 721/722 "Lost City Part 1&2" 1011 "The Quest Part 2" 1020 "Unending"_

**Chapter 1: The Discovery –**

The stargate shut off with a snap, leaving SG1 standing on the dais, surveying the surrounding area. Not seeing any immediate danger, they moved down the steps toward the DHD.

"You getting anything, Sam?" Mitchell asked.

"No, everything looks clear." Sam responded distractedly.

"Sam are you okay?" Daniel asked quietly.

"Yo Jackson, which way are these ruins of yours?" Cam called.

"I'm fine Daniel." Sam responded.

Daniel looked at Sam, trying to decide if she was telling him the truth.

"Jackson!"

Daniel rolled his eyes before looking over at Mitchell, causing Sam to chuckle softly.

"Three clicks that way." Daniel answered in annoyance. "There should be a path once we get to the trees."

"Let's go then." Cam said. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get back."

Daniel shot a glare at Cam before falling in behind him. Vala moved to walk with him while Teal'c took the rear of the procession.

As Sam followed behind Vala and Daniel, she knew that she should be keeping an eye out for any hostiles. However, with the knowledge that Teal'c was behind her doing just that, Sam found her mind wandering.

**Λ**

_Flashback:_

_Sam walked into the briefing room ten minutes before the briefing was to begin. She was surprised to see the young Lieutenant talking with Daniel._

"_Jon!" Sam exclaimed._

"_Colonel." Jon replied as he stood at attention and saluted._

"_As you were Lieutenant." Sam responded as she returned the salute. "What brings you to the SGC, Jon?"_

"_That's my doing, Carter." Jack announced as he came up the stairs from the control room._

"_Sir?" Sam inquired._

"_Lieutenant O'Neill is being transferred to Atlantis. I thought Daniel should brief him on the events since…" Jack paused._

"_Since I was reverted back to adolescence." Jon filled in bitterly._

"_Yes, well…Dr. Lam is waiting for you in the infirmary Lieutenant."_

"_Yes Sir!" Jon shot off a smart salute, waiting only for Jack's return salute before leaving._

"_O'Neill, was that not Jonathan O'Neill?" Teal'c asked as he, Cam and Vala entered the briefing room._

"_Yeah Teal'c." Jack answered as he moved to take his seat._

"_O'Neill?" Vala inquired._

"_My nephew." Jack replied. "He's being transferred to Atlantis."_

"_Atlantis?" Cam repeated in surprise._

"_Jon has the Ancient gene." Daniel interrupted preemptively._

_Before Cam could vocalize his next question, General Landry entered the room._

"_Doctor Jackson," Landry spoke as he took his seat. "Everything went well with Lt. O'Neill?"_

"_Yes Sir." Daniel replied. "He's down in the infirmary now."_

"_Good." Landry acknowledged as he turned to the rest of SG1. "I'm sure you are all curious as to why I called you all here." There were nods all around the table. "Jack?"_

"_As you are all aware, the personnel at Peterson have been working toward assembling an armada of F303's and F304's." Jack began the briefing. Everyone nodded in acknowledgment. "As you are also aware, the scientists at Area 51 have been working toward integrating the Asgard technology into the armada. On top of that a special team of scientists and engineers have been tasked with engineering the F305, based upon the reverse engineering of the Orion class ship that Atlantis located thanks to the information given to us from alternate Carter._

"_Thanks to all of you helping with the process, the crews for all of the ships were finalized yesterday. In fact, already today, our allies are beginning to outfit their ships."_

"_So soon?" Cam inquired._

"_We are officially launching the armada in a month, the captains and crews will need most of that time to become acquainted with their ships and each other."_

"_One month?" Sam exclaimed in surprise._

"_A week ago I received word from the F305 project that the tests had been run successfully. Along with the other crews, the Joint Chiefs and our allies finalized the crew for the _Sirius_. The crew will consist of representatives from all of our allies."_

"_Have they chosen a captain for the _Sirius_?" Cam asked._

"_That debate took them two days to decide." Jack responded dryly. "The decision was made that the _Sirius_ would be the flag ship and whomever they chose would be fleet commander, so they took their decision seriously."_

"_Who did they choose, Jack?" Daniel asked quietly._

**Λ**

"Colonel Carter are you well?" Teal'c asked, effectively bringing Sam back to the present.

"What?"

"Are you well?" Teal'c repeated.

"Yeah." Sam hurriedly assured. "Just…thinking."

"We are all concerned for O'Neill, Colonel Carter."

Sam looked at Teal'c in surprise, but realized that he was probably the one person who knew her best. After all, he had memories of 50 years that the rest of SG1 hadn't lived through. She sighed and looked away. Up ahead she could see the path widening into a clearing, probably where Daniel's ruins were located.

"He knew for months Teal'c. He knew that if the _Sirius_ was completed in time that the Joint Chiefs would push for him to take command."

"You are upset that O'Neill did not inform us of this possibility."

"Yeah."

"There was no guarantee Colonel Carter that the _Sirius_ would be completed on time. O'Neill chose not to inform us of a decision that was not guaranteed to be relevant."

"You're not at all angry Teal'c?" Sam inquired impatiently.

"I am not. O'Neill wished to spare us while the decision was unclear. Now that his orders are certain, he has informed us."

"Yeah, but…"

"Sam! Teal'c! Are you two going to join us?" Mitchell interrupted. He was yelling from his position at the end of the trail.

"We are coming Colonel Mitchell." Teal'c responded. "O'Neill is an excellent choice to lead the Tauri armada. Very few have the experience that he has."

"I know that Teal'c." Sam replied begrudgingly. "Really, I do. But I can't help feeling that this is a suicide mission."

"Do not the new ships have the Asgard technology?"

"Yes...or at least our interpretation of that technology. It's still new to us Teal'c and recreating it has been difficult."

"What took you two so long?" Mitchell asked, effectively ending the conversation for the time being.

"These are the ruins?" Sam asked as she surveyed the scene before her.

Mitchell frowned at her blatantly ignoring his question. However, he decided to let it go for the time being.

"Take a look at Daniel's face, then ask that again." Cam replied.

Pulling out one of her devices, Sam smiled at the look of eager anticipation on Daniel's face. "Right."

"Are you getting any readings Samantha?" Vala asked as she tried to look over her shoulder.

"Actually, yes." Sam puzzled.

"What?" Daniel exclaimed as his attention was finally diverted from the ruins.

"I'm getting faint energy readings from the direction of the ruins." Sam replied.

"What kind of energy readings?" Cam asked warily.

"I'm not sure." Sam replied. "But I don't think it's the kind that explodes." She looked up at the others. "We should check this out."

**Λ**

Three hours later found Cam leaning against a pillar and throwing pebbles in boredom. Teal'c stood guard at the entrance, ever aware of possible danger. He watched outside while keeping one eye on the other three members of his team.

Upon entering the temple, Sam had followed the energy readings to one of the walls that was partially hidden near the back. Immediately Daniel and Vala had set to work translating the Ancient writing on that wall. Leaving the two to their translations, Sam took Daniel's camera and documented the rest of the temple for later study.

"Guys, I think I found something!" Daniel exclaimed, breaking the silence.

Instantly, the rest of his team gathered around him, waiting for an explanation.

"_He who is worthy will have access to knowledge that will guide him to the path of truth."_ Daniel translated once they were all gathered.

No one noticed when Vala frowned in consternation. "I don't think…"

"That sounds familiar." Mitchell grumbled. "Sounds similar to other things we've heard while searching for the sangraal."

"Indeed."

"So what now?" Sam asked. "This is where the energy readings are coming from. Is there something in this wall?"

"Not in it," Daniel smiled. He placed his fingers one at a time in strategic places on the wall. "Behind it." He continued as the wall moved and revealed a hidden passage.

Before anyone could react to this new development, Daniel hurried down the passageway. With no other option, the others followed, hurrying to catch up. They finally caught up to Daniel only when he stopped where the passageway opened up into a spacious room.

"Jackson! How many times do I have to tell you not to touch anything or take off without clearing it with me first?" Mitchell exclaimed as he attempted to regain even breathing.

"Greater men than you, Colonel Mitchell, have attempted to reign in Daniel Jackson and failed."

Four sets of eyes turned and stared at Teal'c. Three of them registered shock, while Sam's betrayed the laughter that she was trying to swallow. Had Sam not known Teal'c for so long, she probably would have missed the matching mirth in his eyes.

Slowly, a smile spread across Vala's face. "He's right Cameron. General O'Neill spent nearly a decade trying to keep Daniel in line."

Daniel smiled at that too. Only Cam seemed not to be amused by the conversation. So when Daniel moved to step further into the room, Cam grabbed his pack and anchored him to the spot.

"Not so fast Jackson." Cam grumbled. "What are your readings, Sam?"

"The source of energy is definitely in this room." Sam replied as she studied her handheld device.

"You're sure?" Cam asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay, we go in…cautiously. Teal'c, stay with Daniel, the last thing we need is for him to touch something he shouldn't."

Daniel shot a glare at Cam before taking off with Teal'c following close behind. With smirks still on their faces, Sam and Vala took off in the opposite direction around the room.

At first, Cam stayed at the entrance to the room. But after a few minutes, he too entered the room, walking straight down the middle of it. He wasn't halfway across the room, when a movement on the opposite wall caught his attention.

"Well I'll be damned." Cam muttered. "Sam! I think I found the source of those energy readings."

It didn't take long for the other members of SG1 to meet at Cam's location and find what he was referring to.

"Is that…?" Vala stammered.

"Incredible." Daniel whispered in awe.

There was a moment of silence as everyone contemplated the enormity of this discovery.

"Alright, let's go!" Cam finally broke the silence as he turned and headed back across the room.

"What!" Daniel exploded. "This is our greatest chance to find a way to destroy the Ori and you're just going to walk away?"

Cam regarded him for a moment. "Yes." He announced.

"But…I…how…you're insane!" Daniel stuttered.

Don't argue with me Jackson!" Cam exploded. "Three times SG1 has run into one of those things and twice General O'Neill almost died!"

"But Thor…"

"Isn't around anymore Jackson!" Cam interrupted. Calming down a little, he continued, "Look, Jackson, you were lucky last time. Merlin set up a time limit for you. That's not likely to happen this time around and the Asgard are no longer around to remove the knowledge before it kills you. Sticking your head in that damn repository is suicide."

"We can't just leave it here!" Daniel argued.

Cam sighed. "What's the likelihood of someone else figuring out how to reveal that hidden passageway?"

"Highly unlikely." Daniel acknowledged.

"Then it's safe for now." Cam replied. Daniel started to argue, but Cam cut him off. "I'll talk to Landry about sending a science team to extract it."

"Fine." Daniel grumbled before leading the others out of the temple.

The rest of SG1 shared looks before following the grumpy archeologist.


	3. Translations

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N: Those of you who have read some of my other fanfics know that I am a stickler to canon where it is at all possible. That of course has provided a problem with this story: we don't have much context for Jack's interaction with Mitchell and no context for his interaction with Vala. Considering the two characters and their personalities, I decided that Jack and Vala would have an almost sibling like rapport. They tease each other, and have a friendly relationship, but annoy each other as only siblings can. They also share their love of teasing Daniel._

_Anyway…On with the story…_

_Spoilers: None_

* * *

**Chapter 2: Translations –**

Landry was annoyed. The last 30 minutes had been spent listening to Daniel and Cam argue over the decision to leave the Ancient repository. The briefing had started out normally, but once Colonel Mitchell mentioned his decision to leave the repository, Daniel had cut in. The two had only been getting louder since.

"Enough!" Landry barked. "Dr. Jackson I understand your insistence on using the repository, however, I'm going to have to agree with Colonel Mitchell."

"With all due respect General, this may be our only lead. We are running out of clues."

Landry sighed. "And you're convinced that this repository will help you find a way to defeat the Ori?"

"Yes, General. I believe the translations indicate the purpose for this specific repository."

"Ah yes." General Landry said as he looked down at the notes in front of him. "'He who is worthy will have access to knowledge that will guide him to the path of truth.' It's definitely a compelling translation Dr. Jackson, there's just one problem."

"What?" Daniel asked, shock lacing his voice.

"We have a modification to your translation." Landry replied. "The one who is worthy will have access to the knowledge that will lead him down the path of his destiny."

"You've got to be kidding me." Daniel demanded. "There is no context to suggest that this translation is any better, or more correct than mine."

"Actually there is, Daniel." Vala spoke for the first time since the briefing had begun.

Daniel was speechless.

"I've run this past General O'Neill, Dr. Jackson." Hank interrupted. Daniel's head drooped. "He agrees with Colonel Mitchell."

"Of course he does." Daniel muttered bitterly.

"We will send a team of scientists as soon as you and Colonel Carter can give us a list of names." Landry continued. Looking around the group he concluded, "If there's nothing else, I'll see all of you at 0900 tomorrow for your mission briefing."

As everyone left, Vala tried to slip out unnoticed. Just as she thought she had made it away safely, she felt a strong grip encircle her wrist.

"Let's take a walk." Daniel hissed.

**Λ**

Jack had been in the middle of a briefing with the crew of the _Sirius_ when Landry had called him. Normally he wouldn't have accepted the call during a briefing, but Lt. Jamison, his assistant, had told him it was urgent. So Jack had stepped away from the briefing and with a sinking feeling growing in the pit of his stomach, he listened as Hank filled him in on the situation with the repository.

Jack had been all too aware of how Daniel would react to the decision that he and Hank had come to. So the moment he was done with his crew, Jack drove to Cheyenne Mountain and went in search of Daniel.

In the eight years that he had been stationed at the SGC, Jack had come to understand just how accurate the scuttlebutt was and how quickly it spread. Using this to his advantage, Jack knew exactly where to find Daniel and knew to be prepared for the altercation that was currently occurring between Daniel and Vala.

"I can't believe that _you_ are contradicting _my_ translation!" Jack could hear Daniel yell a good 20 yards away. There was a pause, where Jack assumed Vala was replying. "I've been doing this a lot longer than you have, Vala! I think I know more about translating Ancient than you do!" Jack heard as he turned the last corner leading toward Daniel's lab.

"That may be true Daniel, but you're always complaining about words that have multiple translations. I merely chose a few different ones that are as likely the right ones as your's are!" Jack finally heard Vala reply.

"The one?!" Daniel was getting louder.

_No wonder everyone knew where Daniel was._ Jack thought.

"Yes, 'the one'." Vala replied.

"Come on Vala that word is rarely translated that way." Daniel seemed to be trying to intimidate his opinion on her.

"Rarely is not never!" Vala retaliated stubbornly. At this point, Jack stopped at the edge of the open door into Daniel's lab and leaned against the corner to observe.

"That's why context is so important!" Daniel demanded.

"I'm not stupid Daniel! I know how important the context is. Remember…former thief extraordinaire…" Vala pointed at herself. "…gotta know the context to know the value." Vala was getting animated now. "I'm telling you Daniel, the proper translation here is 'the one'."

"You been watching the Matrix again Vala?" Jack interrupted the argument.

"What?" Daniel asked in confusion.

"As a matter of fact, it's been a couple weeks." Vala couldn't contain her smile.

"Ah, see," Jack teased as he came further into the lab. "That's your problem. You've got Matrix on the brain because you haven't had your weekly fix."

Daniel stared in dumbfounded amazement, his eyes flicking between Vala and Jack.

"How are you Vala?" Jack asked, effectively ending the teasing.

"Just peachy, General."

Jack smiled and turned his attention to Daniel. "Daniel."

"Jack…"

"Before you start your tirade about the repository Daniel, I suggest you look at these." Jack handed Daniel a manila folder.

Daniel looked at Jack as he opened the folder, hoping to find any clue as to what he was looking at. As was par for the course, Jack's face was unreadable. With a sigh, Daniel looked down at the papers before him.

Several minutes past as Daniel looked through the papers Jack had given him. Suddenly his head came up and his eyes locked on Jack.

"What is this Jack?" Daniel demanded.

"Because of the discrepancy between your translation and Vala's, we tasked several of the other linguists on base to do independent studies. As you can see, the outcome is split. Vala isn't the only one to translate this section the way she did." Jack replied. Noticing the grin on Vala's face, he continued, "But as you can see, several agreed with you as well, while others had different combinations of the two."

Silence reigned in Daniel's lab for several long minutes.

"Your decision had nothing to do with the discrepancy in the translations." Daniel stated matter-of-factly.

"No." Jack replied simply. "But…I suggest you solve this discrepancy before the repository arrives." With a nod at the two, Jack slipped out of the room, mentally shaking his head at the "nonexistent" relationship between the archaeologist and former galaxy-trotting thief.


	4. Smoke Screens & Resolutions

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N: I really hate finals week! Hey all, I hope you're enjoying this story so far. I've gotten pretty far ahead, a little bit more and I'll start posting more often. For now, I hope you enjoy chapter three…please R&R._

_Spoilers: 1014 "The Shroud" 1019 "Dominion"_

* * *

**Chapter 3: Smoke Screens & Resolutions –**

Jack stood in the briefing room, looking through the window at the gateroom. He could see the mass of scientists milling about below him, waiting to go through the gate. As he watched the scene before him, the stargate began to spin. Before Jack could check his watch to see if it was indeed time to send the scientists through, the klaxons sounded.

"Unscheduled offworld activation!"

Without a second thought, Jack turned and hurried across the room, following Landry down the stairs into the control room.

"Sergeant?" Landry asked as the two Generals came to a stop behind Walter.

"Receiving SG1's IDC." Walter responded.

Jack glanced at his watch. "They've only been gone 45 minutes." He exclaimed in disbelief. He shared a look with Hank before dashing toward the gateroom.

"Look alive, people. SG1 may be coming in hot." Hank announced to the gateroom below him.

As the iris opened, the SF's trained all their weapons on the active wormhole. They watched with baited breath as first Vala, than Sam and Teal'c supporting Mitchell came through the stargate.

Jack watched in shock as Cam sank to the ramp just as the gate shut down behind him. Motioning for the SF's to lower their weapons, he moved up the ramp toward SG1. As he did so, he noticed Cam holding a cloth with a growing blood spot to his head.

"Walter! We need a med team!" Jack yelled over his shoulder before moving up next to Teal'c. "What happened, T? Where's Daniel?"

Teal'c looked saddened as he met Jack's eyes. "Daniel Jackson zatted us. He was not present when we awoke."

"Mitchell?" Hank asked, coming up behind Jack.

"Colonel Mitchell hit his head on a rock when he fell." Teal'c responded.

"Damn." Jack muttered. Turning he met Hank's gaze. Hank nodded his understanding. "SG1, get yourselves checked out in the infirmary and meet me back here ASAP. We're going after Daniel." Jack muttered the last part as he hurried down the ramp.

"You know where he went?" Vala asked, having heard Jack's statement. He turned and looked at her. Vala felt her heart sink into her stomach. _Damn that man! If he's not already dead, I'm gonna kill him!_

**Λ**

Thirty minutes later found SG1 – minus Cam and Daniel – and Jack walking toward the old temple ruins SG1 had explored the day before. The four walked in silence, unable or unwilling to speak their thoughts and fears.

Upon entering the temple, Jack motioned for Sam to take the lead. She was surprised however, to see that the passageway was hidden. She was about to say something, when Vala stepped forward and placed her hand where she had seen Daniel put his the day before.

Jack raised an eyebrow as the wall moved and the hidden passageway was exposed. Moving toward it, he gave Vala a strained yet reassuring smile. "Way to go pigtails." He whispered as he tugged on one of her's. Turning quickly to the task at hand, Jack jogged down the passageway, knowing instinctively that the others were following.

Remembering what he had read in the reports from SG1's first mission to this planet, Jack didn't bother to stop when the passageway opened up into the room where the repository was. Instead, he jogged straight across the room to the far wall, which was hidden by several large pillars.

"Damn." Jack muttered as the repository came into view and he finally slowed. Catching sight of Daniel slumped at the base of the wall, he hurried over to him. Instinctively, Jack reached out to check for a pulse.

"Sir?" Sam queried as she, Teal'c, and Vala stopped just behind Jack.

"He's alive." Jack assured. "Unconscious, but alive." He shook his head. "I'm gonna kill him…" Jack's muttering trailed off.

"Jack?" Daniel's eyelids fluttered open. "How did you…?"

"Lucky guess." Jack replied sardonically.

"Jack, I…" Daniel's thought was interrupted as he glanced at the rest of SG1. "Where's Mitchell?"

"In the infirmary at the SGC." Jack answered. Daniel's eyes were wide when he looked back at Jack. "Apparently, there was a rock between his head and the ground. It seems it got in the way as he fell into a zat induced unconsciousness."

Daniel closed his eyes at the lightly veiled accusation from Jack. "How is he?"

"Oh he'll be fine, just a couple stitches and a mild concussion…he's had worse." Jack replied almost flippantly. Turning toward the others, he enlisted their help. "Carter, take point. Vala, take our six. T, help me with Daniel."

As they all moved into position, Daniel started to protest, but was silenced by a glare from Jack. Slowly the five moved down the hidden passageway, out of the temple, and back toward the stargate. Halfway back, Jack called for a stop so that Daniel could rest.

"Jack, I'm fine." Daniel insisted.

"Fine my ass." Jack snapped. "Damn it Daniel, you not only went against orders, but you _**shot**_ your team to do it and put your life at risk!"

Daniel looked ashamed, but didn't look away from Jack. "It didn't work."

"What?"

"It didn't work."

**Λ**

_Flashback:_

_Daniel was the last member of SG1 to step through the gate. He had planned it that way. As he came down the steps of the stone dais that held the stargate, the rest of SG1 spread out to survey the clearing. In the time it took Daniel to come down the steps, he had decided how he was going to attack._

_Pulling his zat out of his thigh holster, Daniel simultaneously reached behind him and pulled a second zat from under his coat. Aiming to his left, he shot Teal'c and Sam, then turned immediately and shot Cam and Vala. Stowing both zats quickly, Daniel dialed the gate address for the planet where the repository was. With one last glance at his teammates, Daniel ran through the event horizon._

_Coming out the other side at a run, Daniel made his way down the path toward the temple ruins. Not until he was in the hidden chamber did he slow down. He stared at the Ancient repository for a couple minutes before stepping forward and allowing it to grab his head. He saw the familiar flashing lights and then heard a voice._

"_This is not your task, Daniel Jackson. This destiny belongs to another, though you will play a part."_

**Λ**

"The next thing I knew, Jack was standing over me." Daniel finished as he looked around at the faces of his teammates, General Landry, and Jack.

Landry nodded. "Very well. SG1 you're off the mission rotation for at least a couple days, until Dr. Lam clears Colonel Mitchell. I suggest, Dr. Jackson, that you continue your research on base."

"Yes, Sir." Daniel muttered, accepting the rebuke.

"You're dismissed."

**Λ**

"Find anything new?" Vala asked as she stood in the doorway to Daniel's lab a couple hours after the debriefing.

"No." Daniel sighed in frustration. He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. It had been a long two hours since the debriefing. He had spent the entire time going over everything he had regarding the sangraal, only to come to the same conclusions he had before: there was no new information to be had.

Vala moved into the lab and took a seat across the table from where Daniel stood. She watched him quietly as he continued to scour the information he already had. _What's that phrase General O'Neill uses? Oh yeah, it's like beating a dead horse._ "Daniel, going over the same material is not going to produce anything new."

Daniel's head shot up. He had completely forgotten that Vala was even there. "I've got to do something Vala."

"I know." Vala replied, giving Daniel a sympathetic look.

Daniel sighed again. "Look, Vala, I…" He paused. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Vala frowned.

"For zatting you and for not giving you credit when credit was due." Daniel sighed again. "You were right about the translation on the wall."

Vala's smile grew exponentially throughout Daniel's apology. "You are forgiven Daniel." Suddenly her smile became a smirk. "But you're not off the hook, yet. I'm sure I could think of a number of ways that you could make it up to me though."

Daniel rolled his eyes. This was going to be a long night.

**Λ**

Several hours passed before Daniel was able to get rid of Vala. At 2347, he found himself walking down the nearly empty halls of the SGC toward the commissary. He wasn't surprised to see only a couple people sitting and talking in the normally full room.

After grabbing a cup of coffee, Daniel surveyed the eating area. He hadn't planned to stay, in fact, he was anxious to get back to his lab. But after seeing who was there, he changed his mind and headed toward the furthest corner of the eating area. Quietly, he walked past the single occupant of the corner table and sat down across from him.

"Hello Jack." Daniel said as he eyed the pie sitting in front of Jack.

"Daniel." Jack replied without looking up.

"Look, Jack, I realize that you're still upset about earlier…"

"Upset?" Jack interrupted, finally looking up at Daniel with a hard look in his eyes. "Why should I be upset?"

"Jack, I'm sorry." Daniel emphasized.

Jack was silent. He was still angry, but the exhaustion and new lines written across Daniel's face didn't go unnoticed. He sighed and looked back down at his pie.

"You've been in your lab since the debriefing?" Jack asked, although it sounded more like a statement.

Daniel nodded. "Whether or not the sangraal worked when we sent it through the supergate, and whether or not Adria is the only Ori, we _have_ to find a way to defeat them once and for all. Our galaxy can't take much more."

"You won't do anyone any good if you run yourself into the ground trying to solve this in one day."

Silence reigned for a few minutes as both men sat lost in their own thoughts.

"Of course!" Daniel exclaimed out of the blue.

"Of course what, Daniel?"

"Hmm?" Daniel asked, as if broken out of his thoughts. Seeing the look on Jack's face he realized he had spoken out loud earlier. "Oh! I've spent some time translating the wall of the temple, trying to ascertain the precise context."

"And?"

"I think I know who 'the one' is." Daniel replied as he stood and hurried out of the commissary.

Picking up his plate of pie, Jack followed after Daniel at a much more sedate pace. By the time he reached Daniel's lab, he was done with his pie and deposited the plate and fork in the trashcan just inside the lab door. Jack leaned back against the wall and watched Daniel in amusement as he rushed around the room grabbing pictures and journals and other texts. Several minutes passed in frenzied silence.

"I knew it!" Jack, who had been dozing against the wall, was startled awake by Daniel's exclamation.

"Huh? What?" Jack attempted to shake the sleep haze from his brain. "You knew what?"

"This translation doesn't just leave us hanging as to who 'the one' is – it points to a specific person."

"And you know who it is." Jack replied warily.

Daniel looked up at Jack for the first time since entering his lab. "It's you."

* * *

_Mwahahahahaha... continues evil cackle _

_ You guys probably hate me right about now, but before you pull out the rotten fruit and vegetables and start pelting me with them, let me just say, that there is a very good chance I may be feeling generous about Wednesday or Thursday, and if my brain isn't completely fried from all my finals, I may post a chapter ahead of schedule to celebrate the end of the school year! Please make my day...send a review...after the hell of this week...I'm gonna need something to brighten my day!  
_


	5. The Prophecy

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N: Woohoo! Finals are over! So, just as I promised, here is the next chapter, ahead of schedule. Thanks to all of you who are reading this story, it's exciting to see. Hope you enjoy this chapter, please review!_

_Spoilers: 107 "The Nox" 116 "Enigma" 215 "The Fifth Race" 315 "Pretense" 1020 "Unending"_

**Chapter 4: The Prophecy – **

"The answer is still no, Daniel!" Jack said, cutting Daniel off before he could start. Jack, who had been walking down the halls of the SGC, turned in the opposite direction and tried to get away from Daniel.

Three days had passed since Daniel had decided that Jack was "the one" from the prophecy and should go stick his head in the repository. Since then, Jack had been doing everything to avoid having this conversation yet again, but Daniel wouldn't let it rest.

Daniel stood watching Jack walk away. He had to do something to get Jack's attention. "Alea iacta est." He watched in satisfaction as Jack stopped, turned and glared.

"Excuse me?"

"Hunc tu cavetto." Daniel continued.

Unwilling to play Daniel's little game, Jack turned to go.

"Jack! I've translated more of the wall."

"Apparently not, since all you can do is quote the wall to me." Jack snapped.

Daniel moved closer to where Jack was standing. "Alea iacta est. 'The die is cast.' Hunc tu cavetto. 'Beware of this man.'" Jack raised an eyebrow in derision. "Don't you get it Jack? The prophecy _is _pointing to you."

"No. That is my final answer, Daniel. I am NOT the fulfillment of this prophecy of yours."

**Λ**

_Flashback:_

"_And you know who it is." Jack replied warily._

_Daniel looked up at Jack for the first time since entering his lab. "It's you."_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_I can't believe I didn't see it before." Daniel was really getting excited. "Before I went for coffee I could only translate a few of the words that came after the initial translation done on the wall."_

"_The one you and Vala were arguing about." Jack stated for clarification._

"_Yes." Daniel replied flippantly. "I had managed to translate 'the one' again." Jack rolled his eyes at this. "Then I translated 'sentinel,' 'character,' 'Origin,' 'guardian,' 'essence,' and 'core.'"_

"_And all that points to me how?" Jack asked._

"_Well, by themselves they don't. But I realized something in the commissary."_

"_Which was?" Jack prompted after Daniel paused longer than he liked._

"_It wasn't just 'Origin,' it was '__**the**__ Origin.'"_

"_Which is different how?"_

"_Well, Jack," Daniel responded as if talking to a child. "That's what I've been working on these last few minutes. I think I've filled in all the missing parts." Jack raised an eyebrow. "The one, who is the sentinel of the Fifth Race, will be of great character and mind. His path will lead him to the Origin. As the Guardian the essence of his core will give him victory."_

"_So?"_

"_So, Jack, come on, think about it. The Fifth Race?"_

"_Yeah, so?"_

"_Thor only mentioned us as the Fifth Race twice, Jack. The first time was to you after he removed the Ancient knowledge the first time, and then he said it to Sam right before the Asgard destroyed themselves."_

"_Daniel, it's late, you're going to have to spell it out for me."_

"_Jack, you're not that dense." Daniel said in exasperation, but upon receiving a glare from Jack, he continued. "Sentinel in English can be a lookout or sentry, in other words, the first to know when there is a problem. Jack you led SG1 for 7 years, we were always on the front lines and were the first to know anything." Jack still looked skeptical. "Besides, it does very clearly say 'his,' so even if you wanted to argue that Thor told Sam that we were the Fifth Race and that she led SG1, it couldn't be her."_

"_What about Mitchell?"_

"_What about him?" Daniel asked in confusion._

"_Your translation said that 'His path will lead him to the Origin.' Mitchell was leading SG1 when you discovered the Ori."_

"_At first I considered that possibility, until I realized that the translation was 'the Origin' not simply 'Origin.'"  
_

"_And the difference is…?"_

"_The religion of the Ori is called Origin, not __**the**__ Origin." Daniel watched Jack for a minute as he took in all this new information. "Face it Jack, you're 'the one' of this prophecy."_

**Λ**

"But Jack…"

"Daniel!" Jack snapped. "Don't bring this up again."

"And if it's the only way to destroy the Ori?"

"Find another way Daniel."

**Λ**

It had been a week since the fiasco that landed Cam in the infirmary, and Daniel was no closer to finding a way to defeat the Ori. Every couple of days, he had sent a report on his progress to Landry who forwarded a copy to Jack. Daniel hadn't spoken directly to Jack in four days. Not since Jack had told Daniel not to bring up the prophecy again.

In the early afternoon, Daniel headed toward General Landry's office to make a recommendation based on his findings, or lack there of. He raised his hand to knock on Landry's door, but stopped when he heard Landry talking.

"What do you mean the _Odyssey_ isn't available Lieutenant?" Landry paused, listening to the response to his question. "The _Odyssey_ is supposed to be available for our use here at the SGC…Where is General O'Neill, Lieutenant?...What do you mean he is unavailable? Tell him I need to speak to him…that's an order Lieutenant…Oh…Where is…the Nox?...Keep me posted Lieutenant."

For a moment, Daniel forgot where he was standing and why as he attempted to piece together what was going on, based upon Landry's side of the conversation. Suddenly remembering where he was, Daniel knocked on the General's door.

"Enter."

Daniel opened the door and moved toward Landry's desk.

"What can I do for you Dr. Jackson?"

"General, there's a lead I'd like to follow. It's a bit of a long shot, but at least it's something."

Landry skimmed the folder that Daniel placed in front of him. After a few long moments, he looked up and nodded. "I'll put SG1 on the mission rotation for 0900 tomorrow. We'll debrief at 0800."

"Thank you General." Daniel said as he turned to go. He was at the door, with his hand on the doorknob, when Landry's voice stopped him.

"Dr. Jackson."

"Sir?" Daniel asked as he turned around.

"How well did SG1 know the Nox while O'Neill was leading the team?"

"There is really no way to actually _**know**_ the Nox, General. But SG1 probably knew them better than anyone else, considering the three separate instances that we were in contact with them." Daniel replied.

"Three?"

"Yes Sir. There was our initial contact, then the time that the Nox helped relocate the Tollan, and then when the Tollan hosted the triad when the Goa'uld, Klorel, was removed from Skaara."

"And you've had no other contact with them?" Landry queried.

"No."

"Any idea why O'Neill would be seeking them out Dr. Jackson?"

"I don't understand how he could hope to contact them General, their stargate is supposed to be buried."

"Which is probably why he took the _Odyssey,_ Dr. Jackson."

"The _Odyssey_?" Daniel was stunned. Landry nodded. "But why not the _Sirius_?"

"I don't know Dr. Jackson."

Daniel stood near the door for several moments, deep in thought. With brow furrowed he looked up at General Landry. "Why ask if I know?"

"Lieutenant Jamison asked that I deliver a message to you from O'Neill."

"A message?"

"Alea iacta est." Landry watched as Daniel's face went white. "What does it mean Dr. Jackson?"

"The die is cast."


	6. With or Without

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N: I am so sorry for the delay. I know I promised once a week, but right after finals I got notice that I had to move apartments on campus. But here is chapter five, I hope you all enjoy it. Chapter six is mostly written, but I've had a little writers' block, coupled with the fact that now that school is out a couple projects I had put on hold are now consuming my time. I will try however to get back into writing this. Of course, reviews always help spark my muse. ___

_Spoilers: 107 "The Nox" 902 "Avalon Part 2" 1020 "Unending"_

**Chapter 5: With or Without –**

Jack stood on the bridge of the _Odyssey_ watching the final approach to the Nox homeworld. On the floor next to him stood his pack stocked with whatever he might need for several days. He watched and listened as Colonel Emerson ordered a scan of the planet below. Once the stargate had been located, Emerson looked up at Jack.

"Are you sure about this, Sir?" Colonel Emerson asked once again.

"I'm sure, Colonel." Jack responded as he picked up his pack. "I'll be in touch."

"Yes, Sir." Colonel Emerson saluted before nodding to the Lieutenant next to him to beam Jack down to the planet below.

As the bright white of the beaming technology faded, Jack looked at the area surrounding him, taking in the familiar clearing surrounding the stargate dais. Moving over to the stone steps, Jack set down his pack and began to set up camp. Within an hour, the sun was beginning to set and Jack had his camp set up and was cooking dinner over an open fire. He had planned to be here for several days minimum and had settled in for the long haul.

Three days later found Jack still sitting at the base of the dais, waiting. As early evening drew nigh and the creeping shadows of night began to chase away the lingering light of day, Jack sat in front of his fire, staring into the flickering flames, lost in thought.

Sensing a presence, Jack snapped out of his reverie and slowly raised his eyes. He took in the sight of three familiar figures bathed in light and shadow from the fire. Jack smiled at the comparison his mind automatically made between the toy trolls of earth and the wild appearance of Anteaus, Ohper, and Lya who now stood before him.

"O'Neill." Anteaus began. "What brings you back to our home?"

"I came to speak to you." Jack replied, not moving from his position sitting on the dais steps.

"Then why have you not sought us out?"

"Patience is a virtue of the wise – one that I am attempting to achieve." Jack answered.

The three Nox regarded Jack silently and Jack returned the favor. After several minutes, a smile spread slowly across Anteaus's face.

"You have grown much since the last time you were here O'Neill. Come, we will hear what it is you have to say."

**Λ**

Nearly half an hour after Anteaus, Ohper, and Lya showed up at Jack's campsite, the four were sitting around a different fire. Jack carefully bit into a native fruit passed to him by Lya.

"What brings you to our home, O'Neill?" Anteaus asked again.

"I've come to ask for your help." Jack answered. "But first, I should probably fill in some background information." Anteaus nodded. "We know of the meeting of the four races: the Nox, the Ancients, the Asgard, and the Furlings." Again, Anteaus nodded. "Of these four races, the Nox are the only ones still around."

"What of the Asgard?" Lya questioned anxiously.

"The Asgard destroyed themselves and their planet after coming to the conclusion that they could not be saved." Jack replied.

"You have come for our help because the others are gone." Anteaus stated matter-of-factly.

"Yes, but only because what I am about to ask is on that fine line." Jack said, looking directly at Lya. "But before you make your decision, let me explain." The three Nox nodded. "Do you know anything about the Ori?" Jack asked.

"That name has not been heard among the Nox in thousands of years." Ohper spoke for the first time. "Not since the last meeting of the four races."

"What do you know about them?" Jack probed.

"They were a radical faction of the Ancients." Anteaus answered.

"They believed in religion, where the Alterans relied more heavily on science. A gap was eventually created between the cultures." Lya continued.

"The Ancients left them in their home galaxy and came here, hiding this and another galaxy from the Ori." Anteaus took up the explanation again. "How do you know of them?"

"They're here." Jack said as he stood up and began pacing. "Three years ago SG1 stumbled across a communication device that, when activated, sent the minds of two of our people to the Ori galaxy. Since then, the followers of the Ori have been on a crusade through our galaxy, killing those who won't convert."

"How do you expect us to help?" Anteaus interrupted.

"Do you know anything about Ancient repositories?" Jack countered.

"We know of them, yes." Anteaus replied.

"You know how they work?"

"Yes."

"On two separate occasions I have had the knowledge from two different repositories downloaded into my head. Both times the Asgard were around to remove it from my mind before it killed me."

"You have located another repository?" Lya asked.

"Yes." Jack nodded.

"Why do you wish to download the information for a third time?" Ohper questioned.

"Shortly after the priors of the Ori started coming into our galaxy, Daniel discovered that an Ancient by the name of Myrddin, or Merlin as we know him on Earth, descended to create a weapon that could destroy the Ori." Jack held up his hand to hold off on Anteaus interrupting him. "I know, you don't believe in destroying or killing anyone or anything. That's why I said my request was going to be walking that fine line. I'm not actually asking you to find this weapon for me or use it against the Ori. I'm asking you to save my life."

The three Nox sat in silence, contemplating what Jack had just told them and asked of them. Jack, knowing that this was not a decision that they would come to lightly, retook his seat and sat in silence also.

"We do not have the knowledge or the technology of the Asgard. We cannot possibly remove the information from your mind should you choose to utilize the repository." Anteaus finally spoke.

"I have two possible solutions to that problem." Jack announced quietly. All three Nox turned to look at him, but Jack remained in the position he had been in – arms resting on his thighs, staring at his hands. "There is a ship orbiting your moon, it's the ship that I came here on. It also happens to be the ship that the Asgard used to pass on their legacy of knowledge and technology." Jack finally looked up. "Or, after I've given the SGC all the information I can, I come back here…to die."

"And if we say no to both of your options?" Ohper asked.

"I don't know." Jack replied dejectedly.

"Would you still go through with your plan to use the repository?" Ohper pushed.

Jack looked Ohper directly in the eyes, his look intense.

"We must speak to the Elders." Anteaus interrupted. "You must return to the ring, we will come to you with our answer."

Jack nodded as he stood and walked away in silence.

**Λ**

The light of the sun was beginning to chase away the cold of the night on the second morning since Jack's meeting with the Nox, when once again Jack felt that he was no longer alone. Looking up, Jack found himself looking into the thoughtful eyes of Anteaus.

"Come." Anteaus spoke briefly, turning and walking away as he did so.

Having learned not to question the Nox, especially when they held his life in the balance, Jack stood and followed the shorter man. After nearly an hour, Jack was beginning to wonder where they were going and if they were ever going to get there. Suddenly Anteaus came to a stop and turned to look at Jack.

"We are here." Anteaus broke the hour long silence.

Jack looked around. He didn't see anything but trees and bushes. "We're where?"

Anteaus smiled knowingly. Taking a couple steps away from the apparent path they had been following, he lifted a bunch of vines to the side and stepped through. Not wishing to be left behind, Jack followed suit and found himself in what could almost be called an auditorium.

Turning in a slow circle, Jack took in the scene before him. He was standing in the middle of a clearing. Surrounding the clearing were what looked a bit like bleachers, filled with a number of beings who looked very similar to Anteaus. Suddenly Jack realized where he was – he was standing before the Nox Elders.

"Welcome O'Neill of the Tau'ri." One of the Nox greeted Jack.

"Thank you."

"Anteaus has presented your request to us." Jack nodded in response. "Our initial reaction is to deny your request." Jack moved to speak but the Nox who had been speaking raised his hand. "However, there is one in our council who has spoken on your behalf. Because of this, we must discuss the issue further."

Jack sighed in frustration. His patience was being tested to its limits.

"Before you leave O'Neill." Ohper spoke up. "We would ask that you ponder this question: What will you do if our answer is no?"

**Λ**

The next morning, Jack found himself once again standing before the council of Nox Elders. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Jack realized that a full week had passed since he left Earth. The entrance of the council pulled Jack from his thoughts.

"O'Neill of the Tau'ri." The same Nox who had spoken to Jack the day before began the proceedings. "Have you considered Ohper's question?"

"I have, and with the council's leave I will give my answer." Jack replied diplomatically.

Jack watched as all the Nox nodded their heads. "You may proceed." The Nox spokesman announced.

"I respect your desire for peace, more so because of my violent past. And I do understand the difficult position I have put you in by coming to you with my request. However, this is not a situation that can be resolved peaceably.

"I realize that the Tau'ri are a younger race than the Nox and I know that there is much that we could learn from you. But neither the Ori nor their followers have any respect for that. You know at least as much as I do about the Ori, if not more, so you must understand how evil they are. And when a race is that evil, they won't care that you won't fight back. If you don't convert they _**will**_ destroy you.

"I understand that the Nox can take care of themselves, but there are 1000s of planets out there with people who can't. Who, in fact, are already succumbing to the powers of the Ori, either by conversion or death." Jack paused for a moment and looked at the faces all turned in his direction. "I'm not proud of my violent past. There are a lot of things I would like to change. However, if one act of aggression will rid this universe of the Ori, I am willing to once again put my life, and soul, on the line.

"Too much is at stake, too many lives hang in the balance, for me not to do something. So, yes, once I leave here I will be going through with this mission – with or without your support."


	7. Truth, Revelations & Consequences Part 1

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N: Okay, so I had planned on being further in the story at the end of this chapter, but I found that getting there was taking up too much time, so I'm making chapter 7 part 2 of this chapter, hopefully by then I'll be where I was originally planning to be. I'm very excited about the number of people reading my story, but disappointed that not many of you have reviewed. Guess you must be enjoying it, cause you're still reading it, but would like to know what you're thinking. BTW, I may be taking a little poetic license with the characters, but I hope that they are not too far off from the canon so as to distract you._

_Spoilers: 215 "The Fifth Race" 721/722 "Lost City Part 1&2" 1011 "The Quest Part 2" 1020 "Unending"_

* * *

**Chapter 6: Truth, Revelations, &…Consequences? Part 1 –**

"Oh for crying out loud!"

The exclamation and the sound of papers flying gave Sam reason to pause as she moved toward Daniel's lab. Poking her head around the corner, she saw Vala working silently in a corner of the room, trying not to get in Daniel's way. The papers that she had heard were silently floating to the floor as Daniel sat at his desk with his head in his hands. Vala, who had caught the movement by the door out of her peripheral vision, turned to look at Sam. The two women shared a knowing look before both turned back to Daniel's tense form.

"You know, if I hadn't known any better, I would have thought that Jack was in here making a mess." Sam teased.

Daniel's head flew up in surprise, almost causing him to lose his balance on the stool that he occupied.

"What?" Daniel demanded nervously.

Sam frowned as she walked closer to Daniel. "Are you feeling okay Daniel?" She asked as she felt his forehead.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just frustrated is all." Daniel tried to act nonchalant. But neither woman was buying it.

"You know where General O'Neill went." Vala finally spoke.

Once again, Daniel's head shot up in almost comical fashion. "Why would you say that?" Daniel was really starting to get nervous now.

"You _**do**_ know." Sam whispered, as she studied his face closely.

"No." Daniel sighed. "I just have a well based suspicion."

"Daniel." Sam drew his name out as if she were trying to cajole a child. "Daniel, we already know that General O'Neill took the Odyssey…" Sam prompted when Daniel still seemed to be hesitating.

Daniel sighed. "I happened to walk into General Landry's office just after he got off the phone with Lieutenant Jamison. He asked for clarification on two things that Jamison had told him."

"Which were?" Vala prompted this time when she became impatient with the silence.

"First, that Jack was seeking out the Nox." Daniel paused again, but wouldn't look at either woman.

"The Nox? Why the Nox?" Sam asked.

"That's what Landry asked me."

"What was the second thing General Landry wanted clarification on?" Vala inquired.

"Jack left a message with Lieutenant Jamison to be passed on to me."

"Which was?" Both women asked at the same time.

"Alea iacta est." Daniel muttered, just loud enough for the two women to hear.

Vala gasped. "Did he know…?"

"Yeah."

"Did he know what?" Sam demanded, not liking being left out of the loop.

Daniel sighed and finally looked up at Sam. "Almost two weeks ago, I was convinced that Jack was "the one" from the prophecy on the temple walls where we found the repository. He argued with me and refused to accept it. I tried using a couple phrases from the wall to convince him, he just told me not to bring it up again."

"And the message Jamison gave to you? It was one of those phrases?" Sam asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

Daniel nodded. "It means: the die is cast."

Daniel and Vala watched Sam closely as she processed everything that Daniel had told her. Slowly understanding began to dawn in her eyes, followed closely by concern.

"So you think…" Sam couldn't finish her statement; she knew the answer just by looking in Daniel's eyes. "Does General Landry know your suspicions?" Daniel nodded. "And Teal'c?"

"Indeed Colonel Carter."

The three inhabitants of Daniel's lab turned to see Teal'c standing solemnly in the door to the lab. Silently the large Jaffa entered the room and joined his three friends in their worry and concern over Jack.

**Λ**

As Jack walked the corridors of the _Odyssey_, the crew stayed out of his way. In the couple hours since returning to the ship and giving Colonel Emerson new coordinates, he had managed to snap at close to half of the crew. The crew didn't know why he was on edge; they just knew that he was. Picking up the pace, Jack turned corner after corner, slowing only as he neared his destination.

Standing in the open doorway, Jack took in the sight of the holographic Asgard writing and the Nox woman standing in the midst of it. He watched for several minutes as she scanned the writing and moved on to the next segment.

"There is so much information here O'Neill. I am uncertain if I will be able to locate the specific information before it is needed." Lya said without preamble.

"Assuming that this time will go as the others, we'll have three days before we see the effects of the information taking over my brain, and then a couple more before it will be imperative to remove the information." Jack responded as he moved further into the room.

"And how long until we reach the planet?" Lya questioned without looking away from the Asgard library.

"Less than 2 days."

"So I have about seven of your Earth days to locate what we need." Lya stated matter-of-factly.

"Something like that."

"Then I suggest you leave me to my study." Lya ordered gently. As Jack turned to leave, she spoke again. "O'Neill, it would probably be wise to speak to the doctor on board. You will need someone on the planet with you."

Jack sighed. "Probably."

**Λ**

"You're going to do what?!" Dr. Steve Alexander exclaimed, staring dumbfounded at the man across his desk from him.

"I managed to get my hands on my medical files from the other two times I had the Ancient knowledge downloaded into my head." Jack ignored the doctor's outburst.

"I've seen the files, General." Steve interrupted. "I know what to expect, which is why I'm surprised you'd even consider doing this again. Not to mention the fact that you specifically banned Dr. Jackson from using the repository."

Jack sighed in exasperation. "We're out of choices Doc. Without this step we can't locate a way to destroy the Ori." He paused. "And Daniel thinks that I'm the only one who will be able to use the damn thing."

"The only one?"

"Yup." Jack answered. "So, you have a day and a half to reacquaint yourself with the files and gather whatever equipment you may need." He continued as he stood to leave.

"Yes Sir." Steve responded, shaking his head in disbelief.

**Λ**

"But General…!"

"That's enough Colonel!" Landry interrupted loudly. Seeing the concern written across Sam's face, he softened his tone as he continued. "I'm sorry Colonel, I know that SG1 is concerned about O'Neill, but I can't sanction a mission back to that planet."

"Sir…"

"General O'Neill has the entire crew of the Odyssey as backup, Colonel." Landry again cut Sam off.

"An entire universe of people won't do General O'Neill any good once he's stuck his head in that damn repository, Sir!" Sam finally managed to finish a sentence.

Hank sighed. "I'm all too aware of the potential consequences to O'Neill's actions, Colonel, as is he. He went into this mission fully aware of what could happen, and he deemed the risk acceptable."

"The life of one of our own is _**never**_ an acceptable risk, Sir!"

**Λ**

"Are you certain about this General?" Dr. Alexander tried one last time to dissuade Jack.

"No Doc and that's the rub. I'd do just about damn well near anything if it meant I didn't have to stick my head into that thing." Jack responded, motioning with his thumb over his shoulder toward the repository. "Unfortunately, there isn't anything else we can do."

Steve nodded his head and sighed. "Alright then, let's get you hooked up to these machines so that I can monitor your vitals during the process."

"Wires are only going to be in the way Doc." Jack replied, not moving toward the doctor.

"We've managed to gain some basic understanding of some of the Asgard technology, General. Most of which has been medically related. All you have to do is put this patch…" Steve held up a small square. "…on your chest above your heart and I will be able to monitor all of your vitals from this little device…no wires."

"Cool."

**Λ**

Jack took a deep breath as he stood in front of the Ancient repository. He really didn't want to do this. But knowing that thinking about it would only make it worse, he suddenly stepped close enough for the thing to grab his head. Instantly, he saw flashing lights and couldn't help but struggle against the device as it held him captive.

"Hello Jonathan."

Jack spun around at the voice behind him. He wasn't sure which surprised him more, the fact that he _**could**_ spin around or the elderly man who had replaced Dr. Alexander.

"What the…"

"I am Myrddin of the Alterans, known to you as Merlin."

"Yeah…we've met." Jack said as he continued to search the room with his eyes. "So I guess Daniel was wrong." He continued, once again looking at Merlin.

"I'm afraid I do not understand you Jonathan."

"First, call me Jack, only my mother calls me Jonathan." Jack waited for a nod from Merlin before he continued. "Daniel was wrong about the prophecy pointing to me."

"Oh no, Jack, he was right about that."

"Then why am I no longer in front of the repository?"

"Oh but you are." Merlin replied stoically.

"What?!" Jack exclaimed.

In answer, Merlin pointed across the room. When Jack turned he could see the repository against the wall, still hanging on to his head.

"I don't understand."

"When this repository was built, its designer left a program behind after his own image in order to protect it." Merlin explained. Upon seeing the confusion on Jack's face he continued. "_**I**_am that program. I was left to safeguard this particular repository so that none but yourself would be able to access it."

"So, when Daniel said he heard a voice…"

"That was me. I was able to see into his mind and found much not only pertaining to Daniel, but to yourself and to my creator."

"The real Merlin." Jack clarified.

"Yes. I was greatly saddened to hear that he had died, but ecstatic to know that his plan had already been set in motion."

"Uh huh." Jack raised an eyebrow. "So, where's Dr. Alexander?"

"Oh he is still where you left him."

"Then why can't I see him?"

"We are not physically in the same room with him Jack, we are inside your mind."

"Oh for cryin' out loud." Jack muttered. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he continued. "Let me guess, you have a message for me…"


	8. Truth, Revelations & Consequences Part 2

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N: I am so, so, sorry. RL has been hectic and it has been nearly impossible to find time to write. However, I'm already into chapter 8, so hopefully it won't be quite as long before I post again. Hope you guys are still reading this._

_Last time:_

"_Oh for cryin' out loud." Jack muttered. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he continued. "Let me guess, you have a message for me…"_

**Chapter 7: Truth, Revelations, &…Consequences? Part 2 –**

"Mmm." Jack grumbled as he came back to consciousness. Glancing around through squinted eyes, he recognized the infirmary onboard the _Odyssey_. "If I get my hands on Daniel…"

"Good, you're awake."

Jack turned his head to the left, where the voice had come from.

"How are you feeling General?" Dr. Alexander asked.

"Like I just had a ton of information downloaded into my brain." Jack bit out.

"Good, so we're on schedule."

Jack shut his eyes and shook his head. _Doctors…can't live with 'em, and I'd be dead without 'em._

**Λ**

The morning of the third day dawned early for Jack. Knowing what would happen that day, he hadn't been able to get much sleep the night before because his mind had been full of thoughts about what he would leave behind if Lya wasn't able to save him. The previous two days had been fairly uneventful. Dr. Alexander had let him leave the infirmary within a couple of hours and Lya was busy translating the Asgard library. So Jack had headed off first to the onboard gym and then to the commissary.

The crew was still wary of Jack. Since only a handful of people actually knew the details of his mission, the crew had no way of knowing the reason for Jack's moodiness, so they minded their own business and left Jack to his thoughts.

Now, Jack lay in his quarters, staring up at the ceiling and dreading what would come during the course of that day and the ones immediately following. With a muttered curse, Jack rolled out of bed, got dressed, and headed over to the infirmary for his appointment.

**Λ**

"Well, General, I have good news and I have bad news." Dr. Alexander said as he came over to where Jack was sitting in the infirmary.

Jack glanced at the test results in Dr. Alexander's hand. "Are those…?"

"Yes these are your test results. And I would ask if you want the good news or the bad news first, but I'm afraid they are one in the same."

Jack raised an eyebrow at the doctor's cryptic words. "Spill it Doc."

"There's no change in your brain scan."

"And…?"

"During both of your previous encounters with the Ancient repository, your brain has shown significant changes as the download took over." Dr. Alexander attempted to explain.

"So no change is good…"

"Yes and no." Dr. Alexander paused. "The fact that your brain isn't showing any signs of changing is good. But there is one thing that worries me."

"Which is?" Jack asked impatiently.

"We have no idea what's going to happen next."

"Plain English, Doc."

"If everything doesn't happen like it happened before, than we don't know what to expect. Anything could happen and we wouldn't be prepared for it."

"Damn."

**Λ**

Jack once again made his way through the halls of the ship, leaving a wake of disconcerted crew behind him. He was aware that he was gaining a reputation as an old crank, but at this point, he really didn't give a damn. He had finally managed to convince Dr. Alexander to let him leave the infirmary. The good doctor had insisted that Jack wear that patch again so that he could monitor his vitals no matter where in the ship he went. Jack had been more than happy to comply if it meant that he could get up and walk around.

When setting out from the infirmary, he hadn't really had a destination in mind. But as he walked along he found himself nearing the room where Lya spent most of her time. Stopping in the doorway, he watched the diminutive Nox woman.

"Beati pacifici." Lya said as she continued to study the words before her.

Jack chuckled. "Blessed or not, peacemakers can still be slaughtered."

"Accipere quam facere praestat injuriam."

"Ah see, now you're just…"

"_Alexander to O'Neill, do you copy?"_

Jack rolled his eyes and tapped his earpiece. "This is O'Neill, what's up Doc?" He smiled at his little joke and turned to share it with Lya, before realizing that she wouldn't have any idea what he was talking about.

"_General, there was a momentary spike in your brain function a moment ago. What were you doing?"_

"Talking to Lya." Jack said with concern. At hearing her name, Lya turned around and gave Jack a questioning look. "Let me get back to you Doc. O'Neill out." Turning to Lya he briefly explained his meeting with the doctor a few hours prior and the conversation he had just had with him.

"O'Neill when I spoke as you entered the room what did you hear?" Lya questioned.

"I heard 'blessed are the peacemakers' followed by 'It is better to suffer an injustice than to do an injustice.' Why?"

"I spoke to you in the language of the Ancients."

**Λ**

"Okay, General." Dr. Alexander started. "I want you to think about the sangraal."

Closing his eyes, Jack thought, _Sangraal. Sangraal. Sangraal._ Slowly it became a mantra in his mind. In silence, Steve and Lya watched as Jack sat in a bed in the infirmary, a laptop before him on a table. Every once in a while, Steve would glance at the machines monitoring Jack's vitals. After a couple minutes of nothing, Steve was beginning to wonder if maybe his theory had been wrong.

"Dr. Alexander." Lya said, breaking the silence that had settled over the small group in the infirmary.

Steve turned to look at the woman standing next to him, but when he noticed her wide-eyed stare at the machines on the other side of him, he quickly spun around to look at them. In the blink of an eye, Jack's vitals had gone from normal to highly active. His brain scan had jumped to nearly 80 percent usage in a matter of seconds.

The sound of clicking keys turned the two back toward Jack. There they watched in stunned silence as Jack, eyes staring solidly at the laptop screen, typed away in a hurried fashion. Slowly, Lya moved toward Jack, stopping only when she had a full view of the computer screen. Looking up, her eyes met Steve's.

"It is working."

**Λ**

The blackness enveloping him slowly faded, only to be replaced by an excruciating headache. At that very moment, Jack wanted nothing more than to slip back into oblivion. However, his body wouldn't let him. Instead, he found himself once again opening his eyes to the harsh light of the _Odyssey's_ infirmary.

"Mmmm." Jack grumbled.

"How are you feeling General?" Dr. Alexander asked softly.

"Anyone get the license plate of the frat party that hit me?"

"What's a frat party?" Lya queried. Dr. Alexander laughed.

"It's where young men get together and drink too much alcohol." Dr. Alexander responded. "They usually wake up the next morning with what we call a hangover." When Lya gave him a questioning look, he continued, "Usually consists of a headache, light, sound, and smell sensitivity as well as nausea."

"About that sound sensitivity…" Jack moaned.

"Sorry." Dr. Alexander responded quietly.

"How do you feel O'Neill?" Lya queried.

Jack sighed. "My head hurts. It feels smaller while my brain feels bigger."

"That actually may not be far off, General." Dr. Alexander stated.

"My head's smaller?" Jack asked in mock alarm.

"No." Dr. Alexander responded dryly. "The normal human uses 10 percent or less of their brain. Your past brain scans show that you use 12 percent. You are currently using 15."

"So the Ancient knowledge _**is**_ starting to take over." Jack stated.

"Yes and no."

"Doc…" Jack drawled in annoyance.

"After several minutes of you focusing your thoughts on the sangraal, your scans skyrocketed as you recorded nearly 50 GB of information on the laptop. Suddenly your scans dropped and you passed out. However, your scans didn't drop to your normal levels." Dr. Alexander explained.

"Which means?"

"I'm not completely sure, but I have a theory."

"Which is?" Jack prompted impatiently.

"The Ancient knowledge is in your head, but it's not taking over. It's as if you actually have to tap into it in order to use it. Now, if you use it minutely, as you did when talking to Lya earlier, there is a brief spike, but no permanent change." Dr. Alexander paused.

"But…" Jack again prompted.

"If you use the knowledge for a certain length of time and at a high enough level, it will change your scans."

"Long term effects?" Jack probed.

"It could eventually take over your brain like it did the last two times."

**Λ**

Jack surveyed the planet below them through the window. As the door behind him opened, he turned to see Lya walk in. Turning back to the window, he continued to stare out, lost in his own thoughts.

"I am sorry O'Neill that I was unable to decipher how the Asgard helped you the last two times." Lya broke the silence.

"Somehow I think that was planned." Jack responded without taking his eyes from the planet below. "Nec mortem effugere quisquam nec amorem potest (_no one is able to flee from death or love_).

"Aegroto, dum anima est, spes esse dicitur (_it is said that for a sick man, there is hope as long as there is life_)." Lya responded.

Jack chuckled and finally turned to look at Lya. Suddenly, he grew serious. "we both know what's going to happen."

"It does not have to happen that way O'Neill. You can still live a long life, war is not the only way."

"E re nata (_as circumstances dictate_)." Jack replied.

"Cuiusvis hominis est errare; nullius nisi insipientis in errore perseverare (_any man can make a mistake; only a fool keeps making the same one_)." Lya countered. "You are still young O'Neill."

"O'Neill to Emerson, prepare to beam Lya down to the planet." Jack said over the radio.

"_Ready and waiting for your command, General."_

Jack looked at Lya for a few long seconds. "Libertas inaistimabilis res est (_liberty is a thing beyond all price_)."


	9. New Hope

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N: Okay, so I promised that this one would be out a lot sooner than the last one was, so here you go. This one isn't very action packed, but there is some in between stuff that has to happen before we get to the really good stuff, so I tried to cram everything I could into this chapter so that I don't have too many chapters with filler info. Hope you guys are enjoying this. I was really excited at how many of you put this story on alert or in your favorites. _

_Spoilers: N/A_

**Chapter 8: New Hope –**

"Open the iris." General Landry ordered as he recognized SG1's IDC. Hurrying out of the control room, he entered the gateroom just as the wormhole shut down behind the last member of SG1. Checking quickly that all were accounted for, he spoke, "Any luck SG1?"

"None." Daniel answered despondently. "We're out of options, General, and the Priors are moving forward at a remarkable pace."

Landry nodded. "We'll debrief in an hour."

**Λ**

Fifteen minutes into the debriefing and Landry had just about all the information he needed.

"…I'm afraid this just goes to show that I've stretched the information we have on the sangraal further than is productive." Daniel concluded.

Hank opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by the bright light of the Asgard beaming technology.

"Jack!"

"O'Neill."

"Sir!"

Everyone in the briefing room exclaimed simultaneously when the light faded to reveal Jack standing with a huge grin on his face.

"Morning Campers!" Jack quipped. "Don't mind me." He continued as he noticed they were debriefing. "Continue with your debriefing."

"Actually, Jack, I believe we were just about done." Hank replied. "Dr. Jackson was saying he had squeezed everything he could out of the information he has."

"Then my timing is perfect." Jack smiled. "I've found some new information." He continued as he slid an external hard drive across the table to Daniel.

"What's this?" Daniel asked as he held the hard drive up.

"About 50 GB of information that I managed to download." Jack answered flippantly. "Ah, Daniel…" he stopped Daniel halfway to the door to go look at the information. "You'll need help with that…it's all in Ancient."

"Ancient?" Daniel exclaimed in surprise.

"I had some expert help on this mission." Jack shrugged.

Daniel gave Jack a funny look, but decided to ignore it for now. He really wanted to get to work on the information he held in his hands. There would be time to quiz Jack later.

"Besides Daniel, you know how I am…Omnia mihi lingua graeca sunt (_It's all Greek to me_).

**Λ**

Daniel worked for about an hour on the hard drive, before he suddenly realized what Jack had said. Kicking his stool over in his haste, Daniel hurried out of his lab, down the halls of the SGC, stopping only as he stood in the door to Jack's office. He stood there panting, trying to catch his breath.

From the moment Daniel skidded to a stop in Jack's doorway, he knew he was there. Knowing exactly why he was there, Jack decided to ignore him as long as possible. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on him, that he would choose paperwork over anything else was amazing.

"Exitus acta probat (_the outcome proves the deeds_)." Daniel finally managed to say through his gasping breaths.

"What are you muttering about, Jackson?" Cam asked, as he and the rest of SG1 entered Jack's office.

"Aut insanity homo, aut versus facit (_the fellow is either mad or he is composing verses_)." Jack mumbled.

Vala giggled at his comment and Daniel looked concerned. Since none of the others were close enough to hear Jack's comment, they simply looked between the three in confusion.

"Sorry guys, just giving Daniel here a hard time. One of the linguists on board the _Odyssey_ taught me a few phrases I could use to confuse him." Jack attempted to clarify.

"Well we were just on our way to the commissary to grab something to eat. Care to join us?" Cam replied.

"I'll meet you guys down there; I have some paperwork to finish before I take command of the _Sirius_ in two days." Jack replied.

"Okay." Cam shrugged and headed to the door with Vala in tow. At the door he realized that the other three weren't following. "You guys coming?"

"We will be along soon Cameron Mitchell." Teal'c said dismissively.

As the two newest members of SG1 left, they couldn't help feeling like the odd ones out.

"You guys don't have to wait for me." Jack commented.

"You're always looking for any excuse to postpone doing paperwork, and the one time you're given an out, you don't take it. Something's up." Daniel said.

"Daniel, there _**are**_ times when I have to get paperwork done." Jack retorted.

"I concur with Daniel Jackson, O'Neill, something is indeed wrong." Teal'c replied.

In annoyance Jack looked at Sam. "And you Carter? You agree with these two?"

"Yes, Sir, I do." Sam answered. "Every time another language is involved you inevitably mispronounce any words you try to say. That phrase in the briefing room was too perfectly pronounced."

"Well, the joke wouldn't be nearly as funny if I mispronounced the words, now would it?" Jack interrupted petulantly.

The other three shared a brief look before turning back to Jack.

"Jack…we know that you went to use the Ancient repository."

**Λ**

Over the course of the next two days, Daniel pulled together a taskforce of linguists to translate the hard drive that Jack had brought back with him. Whenever he wasn't busy getting ready to take over as captain of the _Sirius_, Jack would help with the translations. His one stipulation was that no one but the original members of SG1 and Dr. Alexander know of his "condition."

Because of his involvement in the mission, and personal knowledge of what was going on with Jack's brain, Dr. Alexander was busy transferring to the _Sirius_.

The night before the ESA (Earth Space Armada) was to leave, found SG1 sitting in Jack's backyard enjoying barbecue and beer (or soda in Teal'c's case). The evening had been enjoyable as they shared stories from past missions, but as the evening progressed, the group became more sullen.

As the sun began to set over the trees in Jack's backyard, he moved to clear the dishes.

"We'll take care of that Jack." Daniel interrupted his movements.

Jack nodded.

"Take care of yourself, O'Neill." Teal'c commented.

"You guys find that blasted sangraal and before you know it we'll be back here celebrating the end of the Ori." Jack responded. "O'Neill to the _Sirius_."

"_This is Captain Monroe."_

"I'm ready to beam aboard, Captain."

"_Understood, General."_

A bright light enveloped Jack where he stood. As it faded, those remaining sat in silence, all lost in their own thoughts.

**Λ**

_Two weeks later –_

"That's it." Daniel exclaimed in exhaustion.

Vala, who had been asleep on a stool across from Daniel, sat up quickly and tried to pretend she hadn't actually been sleeping.

"Huh? What?" Vala stammered, as she tried to shake away the sleep cobwebs from her mind.

"I've just translated the last of this hard drive." Daniel clarified, as he attempted to keep his drooping eyelids open. Heading to the coffee maker in the corner, he moved to pour himself his twelfth cup in as many hours.

"What are you doing?" Vala demanded, suddenly wide awake.

"Now that it's all translated, I have to get to work locating the sangraal." Daniel said as if talking to a child.

"How much good sleep have you had in the last two weeks?" Vala asked. "…and falling asleep at your keyboard doesn't count."

Sighing, Daniel answered, "An average of 3-4 hours every night."

"And how many cups of coffee?"

"A cup almost every hour."

"Bed. Now."

**Λ**

_Two Weeks Later –_

"Found anything yet, Dr. Jackson?" General Landry asked as he walked into Daniel's office.

"I'm afraid not, General." Daniel sighed. "Everything is just _**not**_ adding up."

"You've been working on that hard drive for a month, Dr. Jackson. I expected you to have something we could work with weeks ago."

"I understand, General, I expected to have a lot more than I do." Daniel conceded. "However, if you could give me a few more days I think I may be on to something."

"There's five days until the end of the week, Dr. Jackson, you have until then." Hank agreed. "After that I'm moving you to another project."

"Understood, General."

It didn't dawn on Hank until he was halfway to his office that Daniel had agreed too readily. He shook his head as he wondered what Daniel had up his sleeve.

**Λ**

"Are you sure about this Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked as he stood in Daniel's lab with Daniel and Sam.

"We don't have much choice, Teal'c. I've done all I can, and if we want to defeat the Ori and bring Jack and the ESA home safely, we have to do this." Daniel replied. Turning to Sam who was typing furiously at her computer, he continued, "How's it coming, Sam?"

"Almost done." Sam responded distractedly.

**Λ**

Since the ESA left, they had been contacting the SGC every two days. One of the ships would break off from the cloaked formation, and head to a planet that had a stargate and was several light years away, so as not to alert the Ori army to their presence. They would update the SGC and would send personal messages back for the families of the men and women serving with the ESA. At the same time, the SGC would send a data stream through with emails from said families. Because of the secret nature of this mission and the very existence of the ESA, the SGC was doing their best to keep up pretenses that the men and women onboard the ships were simply on overseas duty for an unknown amount of time. They figured it would be easier to keep up this ruse if the families were able to email their loved ones.

Jack was on the bridge of the _Sirius_ when the Oedipus returned from communicating with the SGC. As they came up on their radar screen, the young British Lieutenant, who sat next to Jack, announced their arrival. Within ten minutes all of the emails had been delivered to the proper ships, leaving the final distribution up to the communication officers aboard each ship.

"General," a young major spoke up with a thick Scottish accent.

"What can I do for you Scotty?" Jack responded.

The young major resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Shortly after Jack arrived on the _Sirius_ he had started calling Major Scott Mackenzie "Scotty". It had taken the majority of the past month being aboard the _Sirius_ for the crew to understand Jack's sense of humor, now they simply brushed it off and continued about their day as if nothing was strange.

"Sir, there is message for ya." Scotty responded.

"Send it to my personal file, Major; I'll get to it when I'm off duty." Jack got serious, wondering why he was receiving a message along with the rest of the crew. His messages were usually separated and filled with boring updates from Daniel, Sam, or Hank.

Three hours later, Jack retired to his onboard quarters. Sitting down at the desk in his adjoining office, Jack opened his laptop and retrieved the message. The contents of the message surprised him. Attached to the message was a compressed file, which he recognized upon opening as several files from the hard drive.

_Jack,_

_We hate to ask this of you, but under the circumstances we don't know what else to do. I've spent the last two weeks studying this material and can't make all the pieces fit. I realize that what we're asking could be detrimental to your health, but not finding the sangraal could be deadly to us all. Please send whatever information you can at the next transfer with the SGC, Landry has given me until the end of the week to come up with something, or he is going to remove me from this project._

_Daniel_

Jack sighed as he followed Sam's instructions to de-compress the file that she had sent. Once this was done, he picked up his laptop and headed straight for the infirmary. When he walked in, he saw Dr. Alexander sitting at his desk, doing paperwork. Moving purposefully across the room, Jack stopped only once he was directly in front of Dr. Alexander.

"Can I help you, General?" Dr. Alexander asked as he looked up at Jack, surprise written across his face.

"Yeah, but I'm afraid you're not going to like it."

**Λ**

Daniel paced impatiently in front of General Landry's office. He could see through the window between the General's office and the briefing room, that Landry was talking on the phone, so he attempted to curb his excitement. Several minutes later, Landry put down the phone and waved Daniel in.

"What can I do for you Dr. Jackson?" Hank asked.

"I think we finally have the information we needed in order to find the sangraal, General." Daniel responded in excitement.

Hank frowned. "A month of nothing, and suddenly you have everything you need in three days?" He asked skeptically.

"Yes, Sir." Daniel evaded.

"Very well, we'll call a briefing for 0900 tomorrow." Hank sighed.

"Actually, General, there are a few people we're going to need brought in before the briefing." Daniel hedged.

"Such as?"

"Rodney McKay and Jonathan O'Neill."


	10. The Quest Begins

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N: __Wow, this chapter has taken me forever to write. I wanted to get it just right, not to mention I'm out in the middle of nowhere with limited internet access, so I had to get some help from a friend with my research. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Don't forget to review._

_Spoilers: 703 "Fragile Balance"__721/722 "Lost City Part 1&2"__, 10__06 "200"_

**Chapter 9: ****The Quest Begins –**

_Atlantis –_

"O'Neill!" Rodney McKay yelled as he came tearing out of the control tower. "What the hell are you doing?"

"My job." Jon answered petulantly as he looked up from the Ancient device he was meddling with.

"How many times do I have to tell you…" McKay was cut off by the sound of an incoming wormhole.

Jon immediately pulled out his gun and trained it at the stargate as the shield went up and the wormhole formed. Not having a gun on him, McKay turned and looked up at the control room, trying to figure out what was going on. Staying on high alert, Jon too turned his head toward the control room awaiting orders.

"Dr. McKay, Lt. O'Neill!" Elizabeth Weir shouted from the control room. "My office now!"

As the wormhole shut down behind him, Jon shot an annoyed glare at McKay, as he turned and took the stairs two at a time. Once both men were in Elizabeth's office, she told them to sit.

"What's going on Elizabeth?" Rodney asked once he was seated.

"We received a data burst from Earth via the intergalactic station." Dr. Weir began.

"What did they want?" Jon inquired.

"Lieutenant, you're being temporarily reassigned."

"Why?"

"Dr. Jackson will brief you once you get to earth. They have also requested that you bring a puddle jumper with you." Elizabeth continued.

"Yes, Ma'am." Jon replied.

"And why am I here?" Rodney demanded.

"You will be accompanying the Lieutenant to Earth."

"Excuse me!" Jon and Rodney exclaimed together.

"These orders come down straight from General O'Neill. He wants this mission completed quickly, and even though he knows that SG1 could complete it themselves, he thinks that an extra mind will help expedite things."

"With all due respect, Ma'am, if McKay is going to help Daniel and Colonel Carter, why do they need me? I'm not exactly a rocket scientist." Jon queried.

"Everything will be fully explained to you when you arrive at the SGC. However, if I had to hazard a guess, I would say that they need you to fly the puddle jumper since you have the Ancient gene."

**Λ**

_Earth –_

"He did what?!" Jon exclaimed as he looked between Daniel, Sam, and Teal'c.

The official debriefing was still 30 minutes away, but the three original members of SG1 had decided to sue the time to fill in the gaps that would be missed. Although Jack had said he didn't want anyone else to know, the three felt that since Jon _**was**_ Jack, he really couldn't get on their case for it.

"O'Neill first refused to use the device a third time."

"THIRD!" Jon exclaimed, interrupting Teal'c. "You mean this is the second time he's stuck his head in one of those things, knowing what would happen?"

"Both times he did it to save Earth." Sam tried to explain.

"The first time he did it to stop me from doing it." Daniel admitted.

"That's why he sent for me instead of someone else with the gene." Jon sighed.

"Of what do you speak Jonathan O'Neill." Teal'c asked.

"Merlin set this up for Jack. If there is anything that requires the Ancient gene, it will probably only work for him – and since he and I are one in the same…"

"Hey guys!" Vala bubbled as she bounced into the room. Taking in the serious faces around her, she suddenly grew serious. "What's wrong?"

"Considering how close I am to Uncle Jack, Daniel, Sam, and Teal'c thought it would be best if I had a head's up before the briefing." Jon covered. The other three shared a look behind him.

"I didn't know the two of you were so close." Vala replied.

"We were nigh inseparable until a few years back. I turned 15 and decided I wanted to branch out on my own."

Daniel coughed to hide his laugh.

**Λ**

An hour after the briefing, Jon and Teal'c were in the gateroom loading the puddlejumper. One by one the rest of SG1 entered and stored the gear in the ship. Five minutes before Walter was scheduled to dial the gate, everyone was ready to go…except McKay. Just as the dialing sequence began, the blast doors opened and McKay sauntered through.

"You're late, McKay." Cam grumbled as he followed him into the puddlejumper.

"General O'Neill wanted this done _**right**_ and _**quickly**_, and there were a few things I needed to do in order to do that." McKay replied snidely.

"I believe the General's reason for requesting you McKay was because two heads are better than one and bringing you along fills both positions, therefore making the jumper less crowded." Jon countered.

Vala and Sam stifled their laughter, Daniel coughed, Cam rolled his eyes, and Teal'c raised an eyebrow while Rodney sputtered his indignation.

"Puddlejumper 1, you have a go." Landry announced, effectively cutting off any retort that Rodney may have been planning.

"Thank you, General." Jon replied as he started the jumper. "Well campers, let's go save the world!"

**Λ**

Upon exiting the stargate, Jon immediately cloaked the jumper and gained altitude. Using the onboard computer, he scanned the area. Four clicks from the gate stood a village teaming with people. Widening the scan, Jon attempted to find any old structures or ruins. Seeing something that might be promising, he turned the jumper in that direction.

"Jon, wait!" Daniel exclaimed.

"Daniel." Jon drawled as he rolled his eyes.

"Look," Daniel continued as he pointed toward the screen. "There's someone by the gate, they may have seen us come through."

In aggravation, Jon turned the jumper so they were facing the gate, and sure enough, there before the stargate dais stood an old man with long flowing white hair and beard. He was bent over nearly in half, using his staff to support his wiry frame.

"Is he talking?" Cam asked as he stared out the window at the old man.

Jon frowned, he didn't like the situation, but knew that they were going to have to talk to this old man. Maneuvering the jumper, he parked it on the far side of the stargate from the old man. Cautiously, everyone filed out and walked around the dais toward the old man.

"Hello, we are peaceful explorers who have come…"

"…in search of the sangraal." The old man interrupted Daniel's greeting.

"How do you know that?" Jon questioned warily.

"Only those who seek the sangraal come through the Ancient ring." The old man replied. "For generations my people have stood watch over the ring. When one guardian nears the end of his time another is chosen to become the new guide to the worthy who seek the sangraal."

"Do you have a name?" Sam asked.

"I am called Arom. I am the eighth guardian, and only the second to greet travelers through the ring."

"Second?" McKay inquired.

"Yes. The first was a group much like yours…a king and his knights." Arom answered.

"Arthur." Vala supplied proudly.

"Yes."

"What happened to Arthur and his knights?" Jon asked.

"They traveled for a day until they arrived at the city of the ancestors." Arom replied. "Three days later they returned and left through the ring. One was missing a very valuable item."

"What was he missing?" Daniel asked excitedly.

Arom shrugged. "No one is really certain. However, legend has it that he who finds it will find the sangraal."

"Well, that's not very…"

"Which direction is the city of the ancestors?" Daniel interrupted Rodney's complaint.

Turning, Arom stood straight and pointed off into the setting sun. "A day's journey in that direction. However, I do not suggest beginning your journey now, for there are dangers that come out at night."

"Thank you, Arom, you have been most helpful." Teal'c stated.

Arom turned and took in Teal'c's huge bulk. Frowning, he studied the Jaffa. "I have seen that symbol before."

"It is the symbol of the false god I once served." Teal'c responded stoically.

"No." Arom nearly hissed. "It is in the writings of the ancestors. You are closely tied with the one who is destined to fulfill this quest."

The original SG1 and Jon shared a look at Arom's comment. "You must not falter, for he will need your strength."

Teal'c simply nodded his head in response. Slowly, Arom turned and disappeared into the shadows. Once he was gone, Jon turned toward the others.

"Let's go campers!" Jon announced before turning and heading back over the dais to the jumper.

"He really has spent too much time with Jack." Vala complained as she moved to follow. Daniel and Sam shared a smirk as they and Teal'c followed.

"You're just going to let him order you around?" McKay demanded as Cam headed off after the others.

"I don't take that as ordering, McKay." Cam replied with an eye roll. "Besides, he _**is**_ our pilot."

The last one to follow, Rodney grumbled all the way back to the jumper.

**Λ**

Arriving at the Ancient ruins, just as the last rays of sunshine disappeared over the horizon, everyone agreed that they should make camp and explore in the morning. They found a building that was just off the town square and appeared to be steady enough to house them for the night.

Vala was helping set up the tents when she noticed McKay watching Sam as she checked her equipment. Catching Daniel's attention, she motioned that she was going to go help Sam. With a nod from Daniel, she did just that.

"Anything I can do Samantha?" Vala asked.

"No, I'm okay." Sam replied distractedly.

"Uh, Samantha…" Vala tried again. "You may want to change your answer."

"Why?" Sam asked, finally looking up. "Oh." She continued as she saw McKay over Vala's shoulder. "I'd love some help Vala, thank you."

Vala simply smiled.

**Λ**

The next morning, the group set out away from the square, toward what looked to be a temple built into the side of the mountain. The temple looked to be made of white marble and was built in an almost Greco-Roman style. The group had to walk through a row of columns before coming to a large opening that looked to have once held a door. Once they stepped through the door, the group found themselves in a large anteroom that appeared to be built straight out from the mountain.

In the wall of the mountain was carved an archway that led into the main room which was completely carved out of the mountain. As everyone stepped through the doorway, they stopped in amazement. The ceiling was at least 50 feet high and the length of the room was at least two football fields. Two rows of columns broke the room into thirds.

There was a faint light coming through a row of "windows" in the ceiling. As SG1 stood at the entrance admiring the rooms architecture the sun continued to rise outside and more light slowly spilled in through the windows. As it did, SG1 noticed a series of mirrors throughout the ceiling that were catching the light and illuminating the room.

"Cool." Jon breathed as they were finally able to see the entire room.

Jon's one word broke everyone out of their awe and the scientists immediately got to work.

**Λ**

Three hours later and the scientists had made it a fair distance around the room by separating, but they had as of yet to find anything useful. Teal'c had decided to walk around the village and Cameron was keeping watch at the outer entryway. Jon spent his time between the three places. Despite the years away from the SGC, he still felt that this was his team and felt responsible for them.

"You're quite close with the original SG1." Cam commented as Jon walked into the anteroom from the inner room.

Jon shrugged. "I've known them as long as Jack has."

"Even Teal'c?" Cam exclaimed.

"I was one of the first to meet Teal'c."

"How long have you known about the stargate?" Cam demanded.

"That's classified." Jon nearly snapped.

"Classified?" Cam said in disbelief.

"Mission file 30185."

"You know about that one?"

"I'm probably the main reason it's so classified."

"But…"

_"Jon, Mitchell, I think I found something."_ Daniel's voice came over the radio, interrupting Cam and effectively saving Jon from saying too much.

"We're on our way." Cam replied.

Just as the two turned toward the inner chamber, Teal'c walked through the outer entrance. Together they hurried to where Daniel was, about two thirds down the room.

When the three came up to where the other four stood, they took in the sight that the others were staring at. Buried deep in the wall, set in thick glass, was an old knight's seal.

"That's it?" McKay grumbled. "That's what we're looking for? That's the sangraal?"

"Nope." Vala replied.

"If you'd bothered to read the wall," Daniel countered smugly. "You would've realized that this is just the first clue, and that there is a gate address for another planet we have to visit."

"Where?" McKay demanded.

Jon smiled. "I see it. Carter, Mitchell, Teal'c?"

"Uh huh."

"Actually, yeah."

"Indeed."

"But…" McKay sputtered.

"Here, here, here, here, here, and here." Vala interrupted as she pointed to all the symbols.

**Λ**

Following the gate address, SG1 and company found themselves facing a very similar scenario to the planet before. In fact, over the course of 10 days, they traveled to five different planets, met five different guardians of varying ages, searched five different ruins, and found four artifacts…


	11. A Twist of Fate

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N: __Just a quick reminder, in chapter 8 I mentioned the Earth Space Armada, also known as the ESA, I know it's been a few chapter since then, so I didn't want you guys to be confused when I mentioned the ESA in this chapter. Hey guys, we've got some interesting chapters coming up. I'm coming up to the beginning of the school year, so it's going to be tight, but I will finish before I see the movie...  
_

_Last time:_

_In fact, over the course of 10 days, they traveled to five different planets, met five different guardians of varying ages, searched five different ruins, and found four artifacts…_

**Chapter 10: ****A Twist of Fa****t****e**** -**

Two weeks after leaving Earth, five days since arriving on this planet, and still SG1 had found nothing that could help them. Leaving McKay inside the main room of the temple, Daniel, Sam and Vala branched out into some of the smaller rooms throughout the gargantuan structure. Even that had happened two days prior.

Daniel took his glasses off and rubbed his tired eyes. "This is pointless." He complained to no one in particular.

"There is another option, Daniel." Jon said from the open doorway.

"No!" Sam replied vehemently. "We have no idea what will happen."

Jon eyed her for a moment. "No. But we do know what will happen if we fail."

Sam looked away in defeat and Daniel nodded resignedly, while Vala looked between the three in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Vala questioned.

"I have to return to Earth for a day or so." Jon replied. "I should be back shortly." He turned to leave.

"Take Teal'c." Daniel said quietly. "You may need him to help you convince Jack."

Jon nodded and headed out.

**Λ**

"You're back." Hank commented over the radio as the jumper hung suspended in the gateroom. "Where's the rest of SG1?"

"They're still studying the ruins." Jon replied. "Teal'c and I came back to take care of something."

"What?"

"We need some specialized help." Jon hedged. "And the fastest way to get it, is to take the jumper."

"Doctors Jackson and McKay and Colonel Carter aren't enough?"

"No Sir."

Hank sighed at how much like Jack this kid was. "Very well, Lieutenant. But I want a full report when you return."

"Yes Sir."

"Open the missile shaft Sergeant."

**Λ**

Jon and Teal'c flew south after exiting Cheyenne Mountain and cloaking the ship. They flew for about 15 minutes before Jon began to descend. Locating the house he was looking for, Jon found a grove of trees and parked the jumper.

The two stepped out of the jumper, but not before Jon tossed Teal'c his baseball cap. Not needing to speak, the two stepped out of the trees and moved toward the front door of the house of a close friend.

"Teal…Murray! Jon! What brings you two to Texas?" George Hammond exclaimed in surprise after opening the door to their knock.

"We need your help, General." Jon replied.

"Come in, come in." George ushered. "And it's George, I'm retired." Once the three were seated in the den, George eyed his two visitors. "It must be serious for you to come asking for my help."

"It is indeed George Hammond."

"Gen…George. How much do you know of our current situation?" Jon questioned.

"Enough."

"Do you know about Jack?"

"That he stuck his head in that damn thing again? Yes." George replied.

Jon looked around. "Are we secure?"

"Only in here."

"Jack still has the Ancient knowledge in his head."

"Excuse me?!"

Jon spent the next 20 minutes filling George in on the events since Jack's mission with Lya. Once he was done, silence filled the room.

"There's only one way he'll leave the _Sirius_." George finally said.

"We know." Jon replied after sharing a look with Teal'c.

"Indeed."

**Λ**

Knowing the danger of being caught, Jon cloaked the jumper while still in the gateroom, then went through the stargate. Exiting the other side, he proceeded to the last known coordinates of the ESA. When they were still five minutes out, Jon stopped the jumper and changed his radio to the ESA frequency.

"_Sirius_, this is puddle jumper one, do you copy?"

A couple minutes passed with nothing but static. Just as Jon was about to call again, the radio crackled to life.

_"Puddle jumper one, this is the _Sirius_."_

"Is General O'Neill available?"

_"Jon, what the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be with SG1."_ Jack growled over the radio.

"I'll explain in full, General. Permission to come aboard?"

_"And just how the hell do you plan on doing that?"_

"If you send us your exact coordinates, once we are within range, you can extend your cloak over us. Then, theoretically, we should be able to see you and land in the F302 bay."

Silence was the only response to Jon's comment.

_"Very well, my science officer seems to think that your idea _**might**_ work, we're transmitting our coordinates now. __O'Neill out."_

Once Jon received the coordinates, he moved the jumper into position, avoiding the exact coordinates of all the other ships in the ESA.

"_Sirius_, this is puddle jumper one, we are in position." Jon replied as he transmitted his exact coordinates to the science officer.

_"Our cloak has been extended puddle jumper one, disengage personal cloak and proceed to the F302 bay."_

"Understood, puddle jumper one out."

Mere minutes later, Jon had landed the jumper in the F302 bay and was stepping out of the jumper, only to be met by an extremely irate Jack.

"Lieutenant, I believe I ordered you to accompany SG1 and help them with their search."

Jumping to attention, Jon replied, "Sir, yes Sir, you did. But if I may explain myself, Sir…"

"Make it snappy Lieutenant." Jack barked.

"Perhaps this is a conversation better held in private quarters, Jack." George Hammond interrupted as he too stepped out of the jumper, followed closely by Teal'c.

"George, Teal'c." Jack nodded, allowing his voice to cool off. "If you'll follow me…" Turning sharply, he led the others to his onboard office. Once everyone was seated, he continued, "George, you're retired, what brings you to the far reaches of the galaxy?"

"You do Jack." George replied simply.

Jack shot a glance at first Teal'c then at Jon. "Let me guess, SG1 decided to fill you in on the finer details of their mission." Jack addressed Jon.

"Yes." Jon replied shortly.

"And in turn, Jon felt it necessary to inform you, George?"

"Only because he needed my help." George answered.

"Help? For what?"

"Jack, we're getting nowhere. We've spent the last two weeks flying from planet to planet, five in all, and all we've found were coordinates to the other planets. Then we get to the planet where Teal'c and I left the rest of the team, where they've been for six days and still haven't found anything." Jon replied. "I know you requested me specifically because you thought that I could fill in for you if necessary, but I'm afraid that isn't possible in this case."

"What Jon is attempting to say, Jack, is that you are the only one who can successfully complete this mission. Merlin saw fit for you to be the one to download the Ancient knowledge, therefore putting you in the position to be the one to fulfill the quest." George interrupted.

"I can't exactly leave my post here, George." Jack retorted.

"That's where I come in, Jack." George rejoined. "I will be replacing you as captain of the _Sirius_."

"Of course you will." Jack replied sarcastically. Looking at Jon he shook his head. "This is what I get for having someone else who thinks exactly like I do." He turned to Teal'c. "Let me guess you came as backup in case I needed extra persuasion."

"Indeed."

**Λ**

Coming out of the stargate at full speed, Jon turned the jumper toward the old ruins where he and Teal'c had left the rest of SG1. Not until he was just outside the temple, did he stop or even slow down. Once he had powered down the jumper, he turned off the cloak and the three occupants of the jumper stepped out and made their way into the temple.

"Colonel Carter, Jonathan O'Neill and I have returned. It would be prudent for you and the rest of the team to meet us in the main room of the temple." Teal'c announced over the radio.

The rest of SG1 came running into the main room and met up with the others where McKay was still studying the walls. Without missing a beat, Jack stepped up to the wall and reached out to touch some of the writing.

"Hey! Don't touch anything!" McKay exclaimed.

Jack merely shot him a dirty look before continuing what he had been doing before. As he placed his fingers on different places around the wall, a light similar to that of the Asgard transporters enveloped him and he disappeared.

"Why do you O'Neills never listen to me?!" McKay demanded angrily. "Who knows what damage he's done to our chances of ever finding the san…" Rodney was cut off by Jack and some other random guy reappearing in a flash of light. "What the…?"

Jack looked around at everyone in confusion. "How long have I been gone?"

"Less than 30 seconds." Jon replied, after checking his watch.

Jack looked at the other man who had come out with him. "But we were in there talking for at least 30 minutes to an hour."

"I believe it is the same technology that made 300 years seem like nothing more than a few days to me." The man replied.

"Who are you?" Rodney demanded in annoyance.

Jack rolled his eyes and glared at McKay. "Manners, McKay." He snapped. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Arthur, king of Camelot, not the one on Earth."

"The one where I almost got my ass whooped by a holographic black knight." Cam grumbled.

"Yeah, that one." Jack returned, not quite able to hide his smirk.

"You know your people are awaiting your return." Daniel commented.

"Yes, I am aware of that fact." Arthur replied. "However, as long as the sword is in the stone, they will not be looking for me."

"About that…" Cam said. "The sword was pulled out by a young girl from your village about a year ago."

"A girl?" Arthur exclaimed in surprise.

Cam nodded. "A good thing too, I was about to be killed by that stupid hologram."

Arthur sighed and looked at Jack, "Then we are running out of time my friend. We must proceed before it is too late to accomplish your quest."

Jack nodded solemnly. "Alright everyone, pack it up, we're headed out of here."

"Where to?" McKay demanded. "We don't have any more clues to follow."

"Ah, but we do."


	12. The Test of a Hero

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N: I am so sorry for the delay on posting this chapter. I had some major writer's block not to mention RL has been killer as I've started my student teaching. But here's the chapter guys, hope you like it. I know that I left a few things hanging in other chapters, all of that will be answered in this or the following chapters. Here we go guys, we're nearing the end…_

_Spoilers: 1011 "The Quest Pt. 2"_

**Chapter 11: The Test of a Hero -**

McKay sputtered his indignation as the rest of the team hurried off to pack up their equipment. Sam, Daniel, and Vala returned to the room they had been working in and worked feverishly to get everything packed as quickly as possible. Suddenly, Daniel stopped what he was doing and nearly dropped the equipment he was holding.

"Sam!" Daniel exclaimed.

Sam looked up and frowned at Daniel. "When we first met Merlin he thought that you, Mitchell and I looked like members of Arthur's court."

Vala gasped. "That's right! Cameron was Percival, Daniel was Galahad, and Samantha was Guinevere."

"That's nonsense. Merlin has lived on several different planets, including Earth. For all we know, we look like the versions from Earth."

"But…"

"No more Daniel. We have work to do."

**Λ**

_Flashback:_

_As the white light faded, Jack looked around at what appeared to be living quarters._

"_Greetings, friend."_

_Jack's eyes flew to his right, where a middle-aged man was standing from his seat. Jack felt a familiarity with the man before him, but couldn't place where he'd seen his face before._

"_And you are?" Jack asked warily._

"_I am Arthur, king of Camelot."_

"_Arthur?"_

"_Yes, and you seek the sangraal." Arthur stated._

"_How do you…?"_

"_I have not stayed alive these last centuries by my own devices, it was Merlin who put me here…to guide you."_

"_And how exactly are you going to do that?"_

"_Did you travel to any other planets before coming here?"_

"_No." Jack replied. "But the rest of my team did."_

"_Of course! Your team. You travel with five other men and two women." Arthur stated, ignoring the funny look from Jack. "Your team resembles mine in many ways friend."_

"_Call me Jack."_

"_Jack." Arthur replied. "Your team is loyal, brilliant…" Arthur grew sad. "…and they also resemble my companions physically."_

"_I vaguely remember them saying something about that after a previous mission." Jack returned._

"_Do not worry Jack; I am not interested in claiming your companions as mine. Merlin gave me a mission which I intend to see through."_

**Λ**

Arthur watched in curious fascination as SG1 loaded up an inordinate amount of equipment into the puddle jumper. He watched as they loaded it and still somehow had room for all the people. He watched as Jack interacted with the team, and found himself remembering his own friends and missing them terribly. He was especially distracted by Jack's interaction with Sam, who reminded him so much of his Guinevere.

"You are aware of the sacrifices necessary to fulfill this quest?" Arthur asked Jack when he came to join him.

"More than you realize."

**Λ**

_Flashback:_

_(A/N: From end of chapter 6)_

"_Oh for cryin' out loud." Jack muttered. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he continued. "Let me guess, you have a message for me…"_

"_Indeed." Merlin responded. "This is merely the first step in your journey O'Neill. Before it is over you will face great sacrifice."_

"_What kind of sacrifice?"_

"_The greatest known to mankind."_

**Λ**

Once everything was loaded into the jumper, Jon moved toward the front and took his seat at the controls. Jack and Jon hadn't discussed who would be driving, since they both had the gene, but somehow there was an unspoken understanding that Jon would remain as the "designated driver". Once everyone had taken their seats, Jon turned to Jack with a raised eyebrow.

"Where to?"

Jack turned and looked at Arthur with the same raised eyebrow. "Arthur?"

Arthur was taken aback at first at the similarity between the two men. "When one companion, whose night has fallen, finds the circle buried within, then shall the test of a hero begin."

The jumper was silent as Arthur finished his rhyme. Everyone was deep in thought wondering what could possibly be meant by that rhyme. No one was more surprised than Cam by what happened next.

"Arom's planet." Cam said, almost as if he was thinking aloud.

"Excuse me?"

"Huh?"

"What?"

The rest of the team exclaimed, except Arthur.

"Arom's planet. 'The circle buried within'…the ring we found set in the wall." Cam explained.

Jack shared a look with Arthur. They shared a brief, silent conversation before Jack nodded and turned to Jon. "Guess that's where we're going."

Jon nodded and headed toward the stargate.

"You guess?" McKay demanded. "You were so sure back in the temple and now you GUESS?!"

Jack barely contained the eye roll in response to Rodney. "I was sure about us having more clues to follow McKay. You were whining because we didn't have clues to follow, I said we did. I never said that I knew what was going to happen next."

"I _**wasn't**_ whining."

Everyone simply ignored McKay as they approached the stargate.

"Don't forget to stop Jon." Daniel commented.

"I know, I know."

Jack looked between the two. "Stop? Why?"

"There is a guardian who awaits those who seek the sangraal." Arthur answered. "It is usually a good idea to stop and talk to him."

Jack shrugged.

**Λ**

"You have returned?" Arom questioned as the team stood in front of the stargate.

"Our quest led us to a point where we realized that we were missing two key people needed to complete this quest." Daniel responded.

"I see." Arom answered, the confusion laced in his voice offsetting his statement. "Then you do not need my help." Arom bowed and turned.

"Guardian." Arthur called before Arom could walk away. Arom turned. "You're time is nearly up." Arom nodded slowly once. "The time of the Guardians is nearly gone."

"When I receive the sign, the time of the Guardians will be done. Until then I will continue my vigil and prepare my successor."

**Λ**

The sun was setting as Jon landed the jumper in the village of the Ancients. They had all decided that they would make camp in the same building they had before, and would once again search the temple the next morning. Quietly, the team moved together to complete their tasks. It wasn't long before the tents were up and food and coffee were cooking over an open fire.

Again, Arthur sat back and watched how the team worked as one. Well, almost as one. Arthur couldn't help but notice that the one called McKay did not seem to fit into the otherwise tightly knit group. Not knowing the history of any of his companions, he did not know the reason for that, but simply sat back and watched in silence.

Hours later, the camp grew silent as everyone, save Cam who was on watch, fell asleep. Jack, however, was restless in his sleep. He tossed and turned as images played before his unconscious mind's eye.

**Λ**

"_Adversus incendia excubias, curator laboriosus (_against the danger of fires, the guardian toils_)."_

_Jack's eyes flew open, the rest of his body staying still, not wanting to give away the fact that he was awake. Carefully and quickly, he scanned the area around him for the source of the words. Once he decided that the area was clear, he got up and headed toward the flap of the tent._

_Scanning the area immediately around the front of the tent, Jack double checked that his zat was in its thigh holster before stepping out of the tent._

"_Adversus incendia excubias, curator laboriosus. Stultum est timere quod vitare non potes (_It is foolish to fear that which you cannot avoid_.)"_

"_Who said anything about fear?" Jack grumbled._

**Λ**

"Who said anything about fear?" Jack grumbled.

Cam turned around in surprise at hearing Jack's voice. At first glance, Cam just thought that Jack couldn't sleep and was up checking things. _Maybe he heard a noise._ Cam thought as he stood up and headed over to Jack. As he drew closer, Cam began to realize that something was up…he wasn't quite sure what…but something wasn't right.

"Everything okay, General?"

**Λ**

"_Everything okay, General?"_

_If Jack wasn't damn good at what he did, he would not have been able to keep himself from jumping in surprise. As it was, he still whirled around and glared at Cam._

"_Adversus incendia excubias, curator laboriosus."_

"_Everything is __**fine**__ Colonel." Jack grated out, trying to ignore the voice that just wouldn't shut up._

**Λ**

_Yeah, and I'm President of the United States._ Cam thought to himself. Aloud he answered, "You just seemed to be looking for something, Sir, that's all."

**Λ**

"_Adversus incendia excubias, curator laboriosus. Libertas inaestimabilis res est (_Liberty is a thing beyond all price

"_Adversus solem ne loquitor (_don't waste your time arguing the obvious_)" Jack finally responded in annoyance._

**Λ**

"Sir?" Cameron asked in confusion as he heard Jack speak in Ancient.

**Λ**

_Jack's head once again turned toward Cam. Noticing his confusion, Jack began to put two and two together. He had thought that all of this was a dream, but apparently it was only dream-like. He was still interacting in the normal realm of things._

"_Adversus incendia excubias, curator laboriosus" The voice said again._

"_You ever had a song stuck in your head, Colonel? One that just keeps playing, over and over and over?" Jack sighed._

"_Yes, Sir." Cam nodded, his confusion still visible on his face. "Freaking 'It's a Small World After All…' hated that ride, even as a kid."_

_Jack gave Cam a strange look before continuing. "Well, I've got a similar problem, only not as cute."_

"_I see." Cam said, but Jack could tell that he really didn't. "Well, if you need any help with that General, I'll be on watch."_

_Sighing with relief, Jack watched Cam head back over to where he had been keeping watch._

"_Adversus incendia excubias, curator laboriosus"_

"_I get it! I get it!"Jack grumbled quietly. Turning away from where Cam was sitting keeping watch (and circumspectly keeping an eye on Jack), he moved away from the encampment, not quite sure where he was going, but knowing that he needed to be there._

**Λ**

Several minutes later, Jack found himself standing in the entryway to the main room of the temple. He looked around, just becoming aware of where he was. Turning around he looked out the door into the night, wondering what it was that had brought him here.

"Hello O'Neill."

For the second time that night, Jack whirled around in surprise. "Skaara!"He exclaimed, as he saw the figure standing before him. "But…how…why…" Jack paused to collect himself before continuing. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Skaara smiled. "I told you that I would see you again, O'Neill. Although I did not foresee these circumstances as being the means to our reunion."

"Huh?"

"When I said goodbye, I had hoped that I would be able to visit with you sooner. However, the Others thought that I should wait until now."

"Then you know why I am here." Jack replied dryly. Skaara nodded. "The Others sent you to stop me?"

"No O'Neill. Although the Others are very aware of your quest, there were enough who argued your case that a unanimous decision was reached."

"What decision?"

"You will be given a chance to fulfill this quest. There are those who believe that you are honorable enough that it will not be necessary to intervene as they have in the past. However, you will be required to pass four tests."

"What kind of tests?"

"Different aspects of your character will be tested so that those who are unsure of your trustworthiness may be at peace…" Skaara continued to explain the nature of these tests, but Jack had stopped listening.

"_Help me!"_

Without turning, Jack's attention was drawn from what his friend was saying toward the sound of distress that he heard. Carefully, he used the knowledge and skills that had been honed during his special ops days and his days at the SGC to pinpoint where the calls for help were coming from.

"O'Neill! You are not listening." Skaara scolded.

"Shh." Jack hissed as he finally turned his head, and taking tentative steps, tried to follow the calls for help to their source.

"O'Neill!"

"Oh for cryin' out loud!" Jack exclaimed as he was brought up short in his wanderings by Skaara appearing directly in his path.

"You have just been given permission by the Others to fulfill this quest and you are not paying attention to what I was sent to tell you."

"Would you keep it down!?" Jack hissed. "I'm trying to pinpoint the origin of those calls for help."

"You do not have time for this O'Neill."

For the first time since hearing the cries, Jack stopped trying to locate them and turned and glared at Skaara. "Quest or no quest, I am not going to sacrifice who I am." Abruptly turning, Jack continued to follow the sound, until he came to a room that had clearly seen better days.

Using the light from the moon, Jack could see a gaping hole in the center of the room. Jack figured that an earthquake or something had caused the floor to fall out.

"Please," the voice once again pleaded feebly. "Help me."

Jack could hear the sobs coming from down that whole. Wishing that he'd had a little more presence of mind when leaving camp and had brought a flashlight and perhaps rope with him, Jack stared down into the hole, trying to see who was down there.

In a flash of inspiration, Jack tapped into the Ancient knowledge in his head and managed to produce a spark that lit the several torches that were lining the wall. Grabbing one, he held it over the hole far enough to finally be able to see a small child of no more than eight or nine, hanging on to dear life on a small ledge about eight feet down.

Taking in the situation quickly, Jack realized that he had only once chance here.

"Hey kiddo." Jack soothed. "I'm going to come get you, but I'm going to need you to do some things for me okay?" The child nodded. "Okay, first I need you to take a deep breath and calm down." He watched as the kid took a shaky breath, but could see that he was beginning to calm down. "Okay, good. Now, I'm going to have to come down there to get you, so what I need you to do is move over just a little bit." Jack could see the kid getting ready to cry again. "Shh. Everything is going to be fine, but I'm going to need room for my feet to land, and you're going to have to help guide them as I come down." Jack sighed as he eyed the area around him; he was going to have to do most of this in the dark. Suddenly an idea hit him. "Hey kid, are you a good climber?" The kid shrugged.

Sighing again, Jack laid the torch down as close to the edge of the hole has he dared. Turning around, he slowly began to lower himself into the hole. Not for the first time, Jack was thankful for his height. With his 6'1" frame and the length of his arms, he figured he should be able to lower himself to the ledge _**and**_ pull himself and the kid back up.

As he got further and further into the hole, he suddenly felt a tiny hand on his foot as the kid helped guide his feet to the six inch wide ledge. Once his feet were secure, he dropped one hand from the lip of the hole and reached down to place a hand on the head of the kid.

"Okay." Jack said, "Now I need to climb up onto my back. Do you think you can do that?" The kid nodded and tried to look brave, but Jack could still read the fear in his eyes. "Good, now I can help you with one hand, but I have to be able to use the other to keep us steady, so on the count of three. One…two…three."

It took a couple tries and several long minutes, but finally the kid was clinging tightly to Jack's back. Carefully, and much slower than he would have liked, Jack began to pull the two of them up. Finally, Jack found himself lying on the floor, his feet still hanging over the edge of the hole, panting much more than he would have liked.

"Thank you General."

Jack looked up in surprise, but was even more surprised when he looked into the face of none other than Cameron Mitchell.

"Mitchell what the hell are you doing here and why the hell didn't you lend a hand!?" Jack barked. "And where's the kid?"

"General," the other man said patiently as he bent down to offer Jack a hand up. As he did so, the room around them changed and they were once again in the main room.

Jack looked at him curiously. "You're not Mitchell."

"No." The man shook his head, laughter in his eyes. "I am Percival, knight of Arthur's round table."

"Wow. Merlin wasn't kidding when he said that Mitchell looked like you." Jack marveled. "Hang on, what happened to the kid?"

"I was that kid, General."

"Excuse me?!"

Percival looked concerned. "Were you not warned that you would be tested?"

"Now that you mention it, Skaara did say something about tests of character or something." Jack paused. "But wait, if you were the kid…if you're a knight of Arthur's round table…oh boy, I feel a headache coming on."

Percival smiled. "I was once a knight in King Arthur's court. I left with him and three others on a quest for the sangral. As we traveled to the different planets, each of us was tested and left behind something important to us. When we came to the fifth planet, Merlin met us. He told us that it was not yet time for the sangral to be discovered. Then he explained that he needed our help to guide and test the one who was destined to find the sangral. Once we had all agreed, we were sent back to the planets where we had left our important belonging to live out the rest of our lives." Percival sighed. "I lived my life out here on this planet. As I lay on my deathbed, my wife, children, and grandchildren standing around me, I once again saw Merlin. This time however, he was there to help me ascend. The one condition was that I fulfill my task as guardian."

"Guardian?" Jack inquired. "As in Arom, the man who greets all those in search of the sangral at the stargate?"

"No." Percival shook his head. Holding out his hand, he opened it to reveal the signet ring that had been in the wall. "You must collect the four items left by the four knights of King Arthur. Once these have been collected, you will know what to do." He smiled. "My task is done; I have passed my guardianship on to the one who will complete my quest. I leave you with one last thing: A guardian once, a guardian again. If the guardian die, what then? It will not pass, but to his hand. Without this man, you will not stand."


	13. Amat Victoria Curam Part 1

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N: __Wow…this was a very difficult chapter to write, and the next one will be even worse. I had been hoping to be done with all of the tests by the end of this chapter, but it was getting too long, not to mention really heavy, so I decided to break it up into two chapters. Thanks to all of you who are reading, please review, it tends to help me write faster. _

_Spoilers: "Stargate the Movie", 101/__102 "Children of the gods", 103 "The Enemy Within", 317 "A Hundred Days"_

**Chapter 12: ****Amat**** Victoria ****Curam**** Part One **–

"Colonel Carter, was not O'Neill supposed to relieve you of watch duty?" Teal'c asked as he came up to take his watch.

"Yes he was." Sam responded, her voice betraying the worry that she felt.

"Perhaps he simply overslept." Teal'c pondered.

Sam shook her head adamantly. "I checked his tent, he's not in there."

"Perhaps Colonel Mitchell or Daniel Jackson know where O'Neill is?"

"Maybe." Sam sighed.

**Λ**

"What do you mean 'do I know where Jack is'?" Daniel grumbled in his state of half-sleep. "How would I know where Jack is? He was supposed to relieve Sam of watch, not me."

"He never showed up Daniel." Sam clarified.

With that news, Daniel was fully awake instantly. "But Jack never misses his watch."

"Indeed. That is why we are concerned Daniel Jackson." Teal'c responded.

"What about Cameron? Have you talked to him yet?"

"Talked to me about what?" Cam asked as he stuck his head through the tent flap.

"Did you see Jack at all while you were on watch?" Daniel asked before Sam or Teal'c could.

Before Cam could say anything, the look that passed over his face gave away the answer that the others sought.

"What happened Cam?" Sam asked insistently.

"It was really weird." Cam started hesitantly. "One minute everything is quiet, and the next I hear General O'Neill muttering to himself. I turned to see him scanning the area as if he was looking for an enemy. I went to talk to him, but he seemed almost out of it. Kind of like…well, he said he was…" Cam sighed. "He asked me if I'd ever had a song stuck in my head…then said he had a similar problem. I could tell that he was kind of annoyed at my presence so I went back to my watch. I figured that if he needed my help he would ask for it."

"Did he go anywhere?" Daniel prompted.

"I tried to keep one eye on him and one on everything else, but he started to move away. It wasn't long before he was out of my line of sight." Cam finished.

"Did anything else happen Colonel Mitchell?" Teal'c asked.

"There was one aspect of my conversation with him that bothered me. When I asked him if anything was wrong, he answered with his characteristic "I'm fine." I didn't really believe him so I decided to prompt him, maybe get him to let me help. So I commented that it looked like he was looking for something…" Cam paused.

"What did he say?" Sam and Daniel asked simultaneously.

"I'm not exactly sure, it wasn't in English." Cam thought for a moment. "Adverse solemn no locator, or something like that."

Daniel's brow furrowed as he thought about what Cam had said and what he knew about Jack. "Adversus solem ne loquitor?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Cam responded with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Daniel?" Sam questioned.

"It's Ancient."

"What does it mean Daniel Jackson?"

"Don't waste your time arguing the obvious."

"Jack!"

"General!"

"O'Neill!"

**Λ**

Jack watched, only half-surprised, as Percival faded into a glowing white mass and floated toward the ceiling. Once the former knight was gone, Jack looked down at his enclosed fist. Slowly opening it, he saw within its confines the ring that had once been buried within the wall.

_"A guardian once, a guardian again. __If the guardian die, what then?__ It will not pass, but to his hand. Without this man, you will not stand."_

"Now what the hell does that mean?" Jack grumbled as he headed out the door of the temple. Not wanting to lose the ring, and not knowing what else to do with it, he absentmindedly slipped it on to the ring finger of his right hand. Stepping outside of the temple, Jack noticed the sun beginning to rise over the mountains.

"Damn." He hissed as he checked his watch. He'd missed his watch, which meant that he'd have a lot of questions to answer once he got back. Taking a quick look around him, Jack took off at a steady jog, hoping to be back to camp before things got too out of hand.

As Jack drew near to the camp, he noticed that no one was on watch and that an inordinate amount of noise seemed to be coming from Daniel's tent.

"I'm not exactly sure, it wasn't in English." He heard Cam say. As silence followed, Jack wracked his brain for what he could have said. "Adverse solemn no locator, or something like that." Jack rolled his eyes, the guy was worse than he was when it came to foreign languages.

Jack could almost hear the wheels turning in Daniel's mind as he tried to translate what Cam said into an actual language. He was tempted to burst in and fill it in for everyone, but before he could, Daniel figured it out.

"Adversus solem ne loquitor?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Cam responded.

_Like you'd know._ Jack thought sarcastically.

"Daniel?" Sam questioned.

"It's Ancient."

"What does it mean Daniel Jackson?"

"Don't waste your time arguing the obvious." Jack answered as he finally burst into the conversation.

"Jack!"

"General!"

"O'Neill!"

Jack couldn't have stopped the grin that spread across his face at their surprise if he'd wanted to. "That's my name, don't wear it out." Jack's smile only seemed to grow wider at the strange looks he was getting from the rest of those cramming into Daniel's tent. Suddenly growing serious, Jack turned to Cameron. "Mitchell, get everyone together, we're heading out."

"Sir?" Sam asked in consternation.

"But Jack…" Daniel began but was interrupted by a stern look from Jack.

"I only want to explain this once, so Mitchell, if you will gather everyone else together, we'll meet you in the center of camp."

"Yes, Sir." Cam responded before saluting and leaving the tent, he recognized a dismissal when he heard one.

"What has occurred O'Neill?" Teal'c questioned once Cam was gone.

In as little words as possible, Jack explained everything from the voices in his head to watching Percival fade into the ceiling as an ascended being.

"I thought you only wanted to explain this once, Jack." Daniel said at the end.

"That's all I'm planning on." Jack returned. At the confused looks on their faces, Jack continued, "Except for Jon, the others don't know about my…situation. They won't receive all of the details. Daniel can fill Jon in later."

**Λ**

"What do you mean everything's taken care of?" McKay demanded as Jack finished his abbreviated version of the night's events.

Jack rolled his eyes, but was interrupted before he could begin.

"The very existence of the sangral is a touchy subject with the Ancients." Arthur explained. "Because of this, the quest for the sangral will be like none of your previous experiences with the Ancients and their technology. This quest will be fulfilled one way, and one way only: and that is according to the will of the Ancients."

McKay's mouth opened in response, but closed when he couldn't formulate an answer. Several times he opened and closed his mouth, trying to respond, before finally giving up.

"So…where to next?" Jon finally broke the silence.

All eyes turned to Jack.

"A guardian once, a guardian again. If the guardian die, what then? It will not pass, but to his hand. Without this man, you will not stand." Jack responded.

Time passed slowly as they all considered what could possibly be meant by this riddle.

"It makes no sense." Daniel said, shaking his head. "Of all the knights of the round table, especially the ones we know to have gone with Arthur on this quest, the only one _that_ fits is Percival, and we've already been to his planet."

"What are you babbling about Jackson?" Cam asked in annoyance.

"In ancient lore, Percival was the last grail keeper. When he died, the grail and lance vanished, some believe it went to heaven." Daniel responded absent-mindedly.

"Then where do we go next?" Sam asked.

"_A guardian once, a guardian again…_" Jack mused. "If we go by Daniel's explanation, that part is talking about Percival. _If the guardian die, what then_"

"As an ascended being, is not Percival theoretically dead?" Teal'c asked. The others nodded their agreement.

"It will not pass but to his hand…" Sam muttered.

Everyone sat in confusion, trying to figure out this part of the riddle.

Sighing loudly, Jack ran his hands through his hair in frustration. As he did so, something caught Jon's attention.

"Jack!" Jon exclaimed. All movement stopped around the circle at the intensity in his voice. "The ring."

Jack lowered his hands slowly and stared at the ring on his finger.

"Is that…?" Daniel asked with a tinge of excitement in his voice.

"Percival's ring." Jack finished for him.

"Wait," McKay interrupted. "You guys think that Percival's ring would only pass to General O'Neill?" He scoffed.

"It fits." Vala answered.

"Indeed."

"No it does not!" McKay nearly yelled. "How the hell does it make sense that O'Neill, of all people, would be the only one who could get that ring?"

Jon smiled. Only those who knew Jack well caught the slightly evil gleam that went along with it. "We didn't get very far without him did we McKay? And the riddle very clearly states '…without this man, you will not stand.'"

"So we're in agreement that this riddle is speaking of Jack and Percival." Daniel interrupted before McKay could say anything. "But that doesn't help us figure out where to go next."

Everyone fell back into silence. Jack sat staring at Percival's ring as he turned it in circles.

"Aut viam inveniam aut faciam (_I will either find a way or make one_)." Jack muttered as he continued to stare at the spinning ring.

Everyone else watched in stunned silence as events began to unfold almost by themselves. After speaking in Ancient (which surprised McKay, Vala, and Cam somewhat), Jack seemed to focus on the ring as if nothing else existed. As he did so, his hands subconsciously dropped from the ring, but the ring continued to spin at the same level it had been when his hands were there. As he focused harder on the ring, it began to spin faster, until finally one of Jack's hands reached out and grabbed the ring, simultaneously looking up at the rest of the group.

"Daniel, do you have your books on Arthurian lore?" Jack asked nonchalantly.

The rest of the team wasn't sure what surprised them more, what they had just witnessed, or Jack asking for a book.

"Um…yeah…" Daniel finally answered. Reaching into the pack that sat near him, he pulled out several books.

Jack glared at Daniel. "Do you have one that contains the crests of all the knights?"

Nodding, Daniel flipped through a one of the books, until he came to a page that was covered with pictures of shields. Reaching across the circle, he handed the open book to Jack, who scoured the page for a few seconds before pointing to one of the shields.

"This one…Galahad..." Jack looked up at the rest of the group, turning the book around as he did so. "Did you guys see this marking on any of the planets that you visited before Arthur and I joined you?"

The rest of the group looked closer at the shield that Jack was pointing to. The design was very simple, two thick red lines, one vertically across the center of the shield and the other horizontally across the thick part of the shield, creating a cross.

Finally Daniel nodded. "The second planet." He looked up to see everyone giving him a funny look. "Come on, you guys don't remember Cameron trying to pull the sword out of the stone again?"

"It's kind of hard to forget Daniel." Vala answered. "But what makes you think that's the next planet?"

"Galahad's coat of arms was carved into the handle of the sword."

**Λ**

Jon landed the puddle jumper in the courtyard of the temple. Turning he took in the sight of everyone trying not to look at Jack.

"Well…I guess that's my cue." Jack said, overdoing it a little as he tried to act chipper.

"It shouldn't take us long to pull together all the equipment…" McKay said as he stood and started to move around the jumper. Stopping he looked at everyone. "Well? Are you going to help or are you going to just sit there like bumps on a log?"

"We're not going anywhere McKay." Cam responded, not quite able to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"Then what the hell was the point in coming here?" Rodney demanded.

"_We_ are not going anywhere McKay." Sam elaborated.

McKay looked at everyone, realization dawning on him. "I still think it's a bad idea to allow O'Neill to do this by himself."

"We've been over this McKay," Jon growled. "So sit down and shut up!"

**Λ**

Jack wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he was a little concerned about what he was going to face. No one else knew about the trials that he had to go through to prove that he was worthy of getting and trustworthy of using the sangral. After the last test, however, Jack knew that he had to deal with every test as he would deal with any situation, as himself. Unfortunately, no self-pep talk could have prepared him for what he would face when he met Galahad.

"Jack."

When Jack looked up, he was so shocked at who stood before him, that he almost lost his balance.

"Sarah."

"You promised me forever, Jack."

"Sarah…"

"Until death do us part. Those were your words Jack. You promised that nothing would come between us, nothing, not even death. You promised to love me forever. Jack…you said forever."

Jack had to reach out to the pillar next to him for support as another voice joined Sarah's.

"You promised to come back Jack."

"Laira." Jack barely managed to gasp out. He watched in horror as Sarah and Laira stood next to each other, both still talking about how he hadn't kept his promises to them.

"Jack, buddy."

This time it was a friend from Jack's black ops days that joined in.

"You drilled it into our heads that no man got left behind, Jack. So what happened in Saudi Arabia? You said _no man_, Jack. What about me? You left me there. You left me behind. Was I not worthy of your 'no man' philosophy?"

"Oh god, Jack, you gotta help me."

At this next one, Jack thought for sure that he had died and gone to hell. How was it that one man could let so many people down?

"Kawalsky, man, I tried."

"You gotta get this thing out of me…I want you to kill it!...Jack, please help me, Jack!...Don't let them do this, Jack! I want you to kill it!...I wanna wake up as me or not at all."

About the time that Jack didn't think he could take anymore, one last voice broke through the now very loud din, and nearly broke Jack's heart into a million pieces.

"You promised to always keep me safe, Dad. Always. That was your exact word. Always. You would always be there for me, always keep me safe."

"Charlie." Jack croaked out as he fell to his knees, his head in his hands. The voices around him simply grew louder and louder until he couldn't hear anything or think about anything but the people that he had let down.

"I wanna wake up as me or not at all."

_At least that one I can answer._ Jack thought as he looked up and straight into Kawalsky's eyes.

"There was so much that we didn't know at the time, Charlie. We did what we could, but we had no idea what we were up against." Jack sighed. "We stopped the bastards Charlie. First the one in you…and finally the system lords. We did it, we did it for you and for everyone else that we lost along the way. I didn't allow you to become a monster Charlie, you are still remembered as one of the best officers I have ever had the pleasure to work with."

As Jack's words faded, Kawalsky nodded and faded away as well, his words nothing more than an echo in Jack's mind and heart.

Looking at the four that were still left, Jack found himself unable to answer their claims to his satisfaction or theirs. But realizing that they weren't going to go away until he did, he knew that he had to do what he could.

"Steve, I'm sorry man. I didn't want to leave you behind. To this day I keep wracking my brain for any way that I could have completed the mission and brought you back to your family. I had to make a difficult command decision. A command decision that I was praised for later because the mission was a success, but one that has haunted me because your family never got the full closure they should have had. You were already dead by the time I got to you Steve, if I had taken the time or the man power to bring you home, more families may have been grieving their loved ones. I'm sorry Steve, I did what I thought I had to at the time."

Steve suddenly came to attention and saluted, before fading away.

"Laira, I know I promised to return. There has always been a corner of my mind that keeps reminding me that I've failed to keep that promise. I could blame it on the Air Force, say that they kept me so busy that I never had the opportunity to come back, but that wouldn't be very honorable of me. The truth is, it was painful for me to remember the three months I spent on your planet. It took me a long time to readjust to living on earth. By the time I could put all that behind me and felt that I could handle returning to visit you, I couldn't. I couldn't do that to you. I hoped that you had found someone, that you had moved on with your life, and I didn't want to interrupt that, I had no right to."

Laira stopped talking and with a brief nod of her head and a smile, she too faded, leaving the only two people that Jack couldn't forgive himself for letting down.

"Sarah, Charlie…I offer no explanation. There is no excuse that I can give. I let you both down. _I_ left my gun in the house. It was _my_ fault that Charlie found the gun. I know I told you not to mess with it, but I still left it in the house. Of all the people I never meant to break my promises to, you two are the only ones that I cannot forgive myself for, that I cannot find anything to explain away why I let you down. All I can say is that I'm sorry; that you both deserved better than me. My only hope is that I have learned from my mistakes, that I won't make the same ones, and let down more people that I care about."

By this time, the strong, former black ops soldier was crying. So deep was Jack's grief that he missed the sight of Sarah wrapping her arm around Charlie, blowing a kiss at Jack and both fading away.

"You are an honorable man Jonathan O'Neill."

Jack was startled at the new voice that spoke so close to him. Looking up he was even more surprised.

"Daniel?"

"No. I am Galahad."

"Of course you are…" Jack's voice trailed off, the effect of his grief still evident on his face and in his voice.

"Many men are consumed by their guilt and their past, O'Neill. You are no different. These five people have weighed heavily on your mind. That is why they were used to test you." Jack looked up in shock and anger, but before he could lash out, Galahad continued. "A lesser man would have made excuses, and ignored the guilt, but you have kept these people close to your heart and learned from your mistakes." Galahad paused. "This O'Neill, is why you were chosen to complete this quest. You have shown in your past, and just now as you were faced with that past, that you are an honorable man, worthy of completing such a delicate task." Galahad paused. "I am sure that you are aware of the Ancients' concern in this matter."

Jack nodded. "The Ancients are concerned that once the sangral has been used to defeat the Ori that it will then be used to destroy them.

"The Ancients were adamant that the one who was allowed to fulfill this quest must be honorable and above all that they must trust him to destroy the sangral after defeating the Ori."

Jack looked at Galahad thoughtfully. "You have my word."

Galahad smiled and turned his attention to the far side of the room. Jack followed his gaze toward where a glistening sword stuck out from a large stone.

"I thought that was supposed to be Arthur's thing."

Galahad chuckled. "I once faced my own sword in a stone. It was said that the best knight would be able to pull it out. And as you know, the Ancients love irony."

Jack rolled his eyes before moving over to the sword. Reaching for it, he slowly placed his hand around the hilt and paused before pulling the sword out in one fluid motion. Turning around he saw a nostalgic look on Galahad's face.

"The 'best' is followed by the mightiest. Good luck O'Neill."

Once again, Jack watched as a former knight of Arthur's court became a glowing white mass of energy and floated away.


	14. Amat Victoria Curam Part 2

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N: __Okay, so there is a brief mention of an Atlantis ep. If you haven't seen it, it isn't really important to the storyline, but I would suggest seeing it, because it is __**absolutely hilarious**_

_Hah! Two chapters done in one day…boy am I on a role. Okay, I guess this means that I could have left these two chapters as one, but for some reason it didn't seem right to do that…not to mention they would have been one really long chapter. Things are about to get really interesting in the next couple of chapters. We're going to have some unexpected characters making an appearance and some unexpected heroes. So stay tuned._

_Spoilers: SGA 314 "Tao of Rodney"_

_Last time:_

_"The 'best' is followed by the mightiest. Good luck O'Neill."_

_Once again, Jack watched as a former knight of Arthur's court became a glowing white mass of energy and floated away._

**Chapter 1****3****: Amat Victoria Curam**** Part Two **–

Although McKay was upset at the turn of events and Cam was a little disappointed not to be the one to pull the sword out of the stone again, no one was really surprised when Jack returned carrying the sword of Galahad.

Jon had been the first one to see Jack coming back from the temple, and was also the first to notice the stress lines around his eyes. Being the furthest from the jumper, and therefore the closest to Jack, he managed to stop him before the others came up.

"What happened?"

"Sarah, Charlie, Laira, Steve, and Kawalsky." Jack answered simply.

Jon winced, only he really knew the implications of those five names.

**Λ**

"The best is followed by the mightiest."

Jack's words hung in the air as the nine members of the team sat contemplating what could possibly be meant by that.

"Can't the Ancients be a little less obtuse?" Jon complained.

"Hold on." Vala exclaimed in excitement. Pulling out one of Daniel's books she started flipping through the pages. Looking up she saw the looks of surprise on her team's faces. "What? I was bored." A moment later she exclaimed again in victory. "Here it is! 'One day a sword in a stone was seen in a river by Arthur's knights, and it was said that only the world's best knight could pull out the sword. Galahad was led into Arthur's court where he sat in the Siege Perilous and then drew the sword out.' So Galahad would be the 'best' and you just finished with him." Once again Vala started flipping feverishly through the book. "And here…under Gawain: 'one of the mightiest warriors at court.'"

"I knew we kept you around for a reason." Jack teased Vala. Turning to Daniel he continued, "So which planet was Gawain's?"

This time it was Daniel's turn to be flipping through a book, not like that was anything new or strange.

"Planet three."

"Never would have seen that coming." McKay said scornfully.

"Me oportet propter praeceptum te nocere (_I'm going to have to hurt you on principle_)." Jack grumbled. When he saw all the surprised looks around him, Jack took a mental inventory of what he had just said. _Damn_. He thought. "Vah! Denuone Antiquus loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo elabitur. (_Oh! Was I speaking Ancient again? Silly me. Sometimes it just sort of slips out_)" Suddenly the looks of surprise turned into concern. "Ego videor non validus ut subsist (_I seem unable to stop_). Daniel, commodo persolvo (_Daniel, please explain_)."

"Um…" Daniel sighed. Slowly Daniel filled everyone in on the events that led up to the current situation. Everything from the Ancient repository to the Ancient knowledge slowly taking over Jack's brain every time he used it. "The first two times that Jack stuck his head in an Ancient repository, his speech was the first to go after three days. It appears that Jack has used the knowledge enough to reach that stage. I can't be certain, but Jack will probably be speaking in Ancient from here on out…at least until we can remove the knowledge from his brain."

**Λ**

McKay had been remarkably quiet since Daniel had filled the group in on the exact details of what was happening to Jack. Jack wasn't sure if he should be annoyed or happy at the turn of events. On one hand, he was rather happy with the fact that the annoying scientist wasn't uttering more comments about how he couldn't believe that Jack was the one who was supposed to fulfill this quest. But on the other hand, Jack could almost hear the wheels turning in McKay's head. He just knew that McKay pitied the situation he was in, but that he also wanted to use Jack as a lab rat. Jack shuddered at the thought of being poked and prodded.

"Are you well, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked from beside Jack as they moved away from the stargate and toward the third planet's temple.

Jack simply nodded, knowing that Teal'c wouldn't understand him if he spoke anyway.

Teal'c was worried about his friend. He too had his own thoughts as to what was going through McKay's head and was keeping a close eye on the scientist. Suddenly, Teal'c noticed a spark in Jack's eyes that indicated he had an idea.

"What is it O'Neill?"

Jack simply held up a finger to indicate that Teal'c was to watch and wait.

Everyone in the jumper (except of course Jon, who was driving) watched in fascination as Jack moved about the back of the ship, rummaging through the different equipment that the scientists had insisted be brought along.

By the time that Jon landed the jumper in front of the temple, Jack had assembled a small device that no one recognized.

"What is it Sir?" Sam inquired, her inner scientist thoroughly intrigued.

Jack rolled his eyes at her and headed to the front of the jumper. Pushing Jon out of the pilot seat, Jack lay down on the floor of the jumper and stuck his head under the console. A few minutes later he sat up with a look of utter satisfaction across his face.

"Well, that should do it."

Everyone stared in surprise as they understood what he said.

"But…" McKay sputtered.

Jack held up his hand to interrupt the scientist. "It's a universal translator. Everyone should be hearing their first language. For instance, Teal'c, are you hearing me as if I was talking in the native language of Chulak?"

"Indeed."

"And Vala? You hearing all this in your native tongue?"

"Yeah."

"Sweet!"

**Λ**

Jack couldn't help the smug smile that spread across his face as he moved away from the jumper toward the temple entrance. He just knew that McKay had to be wracking his brain as to how a 'dumb jock' like Jack had managed to make such a cool device like that universal translator. The great part is that McKay knew exactly how Jack had done it – he'd used the Ancient knowledge, but that didn't mean that he was any happier about it. Especially after everything that had happened after McKay had nearly had to ascend or face death.

Jack was slightly apprehensive as he entered the temple, thoughts of the last test still on his mind. What greeted him was the last thing he expected.

"Hello Jack."

Jack stared, the shock making it difficult for him to speak. "Um…"

Gawain smiled briefly, but all too soon it faded. "We should get started; we have a lot to cover…"

**Λ**

"You could have told me!" Jack demanded once he was back in the jumper.

Arthur shrugged and a small smile lit his face. "What would have been the fun of that?"

"I already knew that Mitchell, Carter, and Daniel looked like members of your court, but you could have warned me that I looked like Gawain."

Arthur's smile simply got bigger.

"You look like Gawain?" Daniel exclaimed in surprise.

"Yup, turns out history likes to repeat itself. Oh, and the Ancients have a nasty sense of humor." With that last comment, Jack looked at Arthur intently.

The smile was suddenly wiped off of Arthur's face. "I wondered who would be the first to tell you."

"It seems that poetic irony isn't lost on the Ancients. 'Let's let his mirror image tell him, that would be fun!'" Jack growled. Suddenly, and in an almost violent manner, Jack grabbed Arthur and dragged him out of the jumper and several feet away from the jumper. "Ah!" Jack said as Daniel attempted to follow them out of the jumper.

Daniel was surprised, thinking he'd have to translate for them, but shrugged and went back inside.

"Vita mutatur, non tollitur, Jack. (_Life is changed, not taken away_)." Arthur began.

"Id imperfectum manet dum confectum erit (_it ain't over until it's over_)."

"Nascentes morimur (_From the moment we are born, we begin to die_)." Arthur countered.

"Aaaah!" Jack yelled. "Absum! (_I'm outta here!_)."

"Jack, wait." Arthur began. "I know that this is hard, but you were warned that the sacrifices would be great. I imagine that Merlin didn't tell you implicitly what would be involved, but he did intimate it."

Jack sighed as he thought about what Arthur and Gawain had both said. "Crudelius est quam mori simper timere mortem (_it is more cruel to always fear death than to die_)."

"Exactly. Think about it Jack, you're a warrior. One who has long retired from the field. I know what that is like Jack. When we retired soldiers look to the future and our ultimate demise, we long for the days when we were in the field. It is in our blood to wish to die gloriously."

Jack rubbed his temples, trying to work out the headache that he could feel forming. "Meum cerebrum nocet (_my brain hurts_)."

Arthur chuckled quietly, before turning serious again. "May I assume that since we are standing away from the others and away from the universal translator that you don't yet want the others to know what is going on?"

Jack's hands paused in their circular motions as he looked up at Arthur. "Credo nos in fluctu eodem esse (_I think we're on the same wavelength_)."

**Λ**

The rest of the team couldn't help but notice how silent and sullen Jack had grown since coming back from the third temple. Sure, he now had Percival's ring, Galahad's sword, and Gawain's dagger, but beyond that they couldn't pull out of him what had happened in the temple. Silently they flew to the fourth planet and set up camp. It had been a long couple of days and they were ready to settle down for the night.

Little did they know, but once again Jack wouldn't be getting much sleep, but not because he'd be off talking to another of Arthur's ascended companions. No, Jack faced a sleepless night because of the revelations given him by Gawain.

**Λ**

_Flashback:_

_"Jack, the Ancients have seen how loyal you are to your friends and to your duty. They have also seen that you are honorable in all aspects of your life. These are just a few of the reasons that you were chosen to fulfill this task." Gawain began._

_"But…" Jack said._

_"There is one part of this quest that has been hidden from you up to this point."_

_"And that is?"_

_"First, the Ancients desire an answer to an important question."_

_"Which is?"_

_"This is not a question that can be answered with words, O'Neill. It must be answered with actions." With that, Gawain placed his hand on Jack's forehead, and Jack slumped to the ground, unconscious._

_Jack was surprised to find himself in typical offworld attire and gear, standing just in front of a stargate on what appeared to be an alien planet._

_"__You coming__ Jack?" Daniel called from the head of a path._

_"Daniel, does something seem off to you?" Jack inquired._

_Daniel shrugged. "No. Now come on, the village isn't far."_

_Before long (in a much briefer amount of time than Jack anticipated) the original SG1 arrived in a small village. At first the people were friendly, answered the questions, fed them, and showed them around their village. But as SG1 prepared to leave, they suddenly became hostile._

_Instinctively, Jack shot off a few round into the air to get the rather primitive people to back off. But as he watched in horror a small, elderly medicine man grabbed Daniel by the throat and began to choke him._

_"Let him go." Jack growled as he raised his weapon and took aim at the small man. But just as he did so, weapons appeared all around them._

_"This one must die. He has brought a curse upon our people and must be killed that our people may survive." The medicine man announced._

_"Wait!" Jack called out as the villagers began to drag Daniel away. "Take me." Jack was surprised to find himself offering._

_"Sir!" Sam exclaimed._

_Jack simply threw her a look that warned her to shut her mouth. "Look, you need someone to die to save your people. Daniel is doing a work that will save not only your people but the universe. Allow me to take his place so that your people may be saved now, but so many more may be saved later."_

_The medicine man thought about Jack's words for a minute, before calling something out in a foreign tongue. In motions so quick they could not be counteracted, Daniel was released and Jack was dragged away in his place._

_Suddenly Jack was awake on the floor of the temple. "What the hell?!?!" He exclaimed as he jumped to his feet._

_Gawain's face was both sad and relieved all at once. "The Ancient's have received their answer O'Neill, you have passed their test." He motioned toward the dagger._

_Jack reached to take it and turned back toward Gawain, fully expecting to see him already beginning to float away. But before he turned all glowy, Gawain left Jack with one final thought._

_"Amat victoria curam (_Victory favors those who take pains

* * *

_Don't forget to review...over 200 of you read chapter 11 and there were no reviews...really makes me wonder if you guys are enjoying this or if I'm waisting my time.  
_


	15. Like One Like All

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N: This isn't a chapter I was planning on writing, but I was inspired by a review…so this chapter is dedicated to jo1990._

_Spoilers: 520 "The Sentinel"_

**Chapter 14: Like One, Like All –**

Sleep was an elusive guest in camp that night for more than just General O'Neill. In a tent not that far from Jack's, another member of the team was finding it difficult to sleep. Technically he could have blamed his lack of sleep on the loud snoring coming from the other person in his tent. But he knew that argument held little weight. He'd never been considered much of a thinker, but tonight his mind just wouldn't shut off.

After rolling over for the hundredth time, Jon finally gave up in frustration and got up. If he couldn't sleep he might as well be on watch so that the others could be sleeping. As he left the tent, he was only partially surprised to see Jack already sitting watch. Moving over to where he was, Jon took a seat next to him.

"Can't sleep?" Jon asked.

"No, you?"

"Would I be here if I could?" Jon asked with a raised eyebrow. Suddenly he gave Jack a funny look. "How…?"

Jack held up a small device in answer to Jon's badly vocalized question. "I began to realize that I couldn't carry on conversations only in the jumper or with Daniel translating, so I pulled together a travel sized translator."

The look Jon gave Jack was a mix between impressed and skeptical. "I never thought we would be smarter than McKay and Carter." He said chuckling.

Jack smiled sadly, something which didn't go unnoticed by Jon.

"Jack," Jon began hesitantly. "I know that things have been strange between us. That's something that I don't think we could have avoided because of our situation." Jon paused as Jack nodded in acknowledgment. "But Jack, even with the years that separate…us, I still know you better than anyone else. You can fool Vala, Mitchell and McKay. You can even slightly fool Carter, Daniel, and Teal'c, but you can't fool me. Something is going on, something big, and something bad."

Shaking his head, Jack looked out at the night, silently trying to formulate his thoughts.

"I know that we're not usually much for talking, especially about feelings," Jon continued as Jack's silence grew longer. "But…" Jon paused, he really didn't know what else to say.

"What I say here tonight Jon, stays between us, is that understood?" Jack finally spoke, turning to stare intently at Jon.

"Yeah."

"When SG1 first returned from the planet with the Ancient repository, my gut instinct was screaming at me to stay as far away from it as possible. You can ask Daniel, I did everything I could to put him off of the idea and get him on the path to finding a way without using the repository."

"Yeah, I'm sure that worked."

Jack snorted. "Well, you know Daniel. He can be like a dog with a bone at times. The only way I managed to stop hearing him go on and on about me being "the one" and the prophecy being about me, was that I didn't go anywhere near the SGC for a week. During that time I continued to get Daniel's reports as Landry passed them on. As the week progressed, I began to realize that there might not be another way."

"So you stuck your head in that damn thing." Jon finished for Jack.

"Yeah. But I'm telling you, it was strange. It was almost like an out of body experience." Jack continued filling in the details that had led them to where they were now. "Then we ended up here…" Jack's voice trailed off…Jon might _**be**_ him, but that didn't mean that he wanted to share this with them.

"Okay, so Daniel filled me on the details of what happened with Percival, but what about the other two. After Galahad you mentioned five names that hold a lot of significance for both of us. Why did they come up now?"

Jack sighed, he really didn't want to get into this, but new that he could be a stubborn ass at times, and since he and Jon were…well there was no getting out of it. "Have I mentioned recently what a stubborn ass you can be?"

"Takes one to know one Jack." Jon retorted.

With a roll of the eyes and a heavy sigh, Jack filled in the details of his meeting with Galahad.

"Damn Jack." Jon muttered. The two fell into silence, both lost in their own thoughts surrounding those five people (of course the thoughts were remarkably similar).

"Okay," Jon finally broke the silence. "So they've dealt with our heroic side," both Jon and Jack rolled their eyes. "They've dealt with our sense of honor and keeping our word, so what happened with Gawain, besides him looking like us?"

Jack gave Jon a funny look. "Who told you he looked like me?"

"Daniel."

"Of course." Jack fell silent, really not wanting to get into the details of his meeting with Gawain.

"Something happened Jack, I've seen it in your eyes, on your face…" Jon paused.

"The One, who is the sentinel of the Fifth Race, will be of great character and mind. His path will lead him to the Origin. As the Guardian the essence of his core will give him victory. The die has been cast." Jack mumbled.

"Huh?"

"Daniel's prophecy." Jack elaborated.

Jon nodded. "Okay, so apparently you're 'The One.'" Jack rolled his eyes. "Not quite sure what is meant by 'His path will lead him to the Origin.' But I'm guessing it has to do with something about the sangral." Jon paused. "Wait! Once you get the sangral, we'll probably have to travel to the Ori galaxy in order to use it. In other words, the origin of 'Origin'." Jon couldn't help but chuckle.

Jack groaned and rolled his eyes at the bad joke.

"As for the next part…" Jon stopped mid-sentence as realization dawned on him. "Aw crap." Jack nodded as he realized Jon knew. "Is this like that one planet, the one where we had to use those two rogue NAD agents?" Jack nodded again. "Damn it! That's why the sangral didn't work when SG1 sent it through the supergate."

Jack sighed. "There was a human element that was required."

"What does that mean for you Jack?" Jon asked, dreading that he already knew the answer.

Jack simply raised his eyebrow, allowing Jon to come to his own conclusions.

"Damn it Jack!" Jon exclaimed quietly. "Why didn't you call me? Here you are, head of Homeworld Security, a General in the Air Force…you shouldn't be the one to do this. Damn it Jack, I may be physically younger than you, but I have all of our memories from before this, not to mention the Ancient gene. _I_ could have been the one to do this…I have a lot less to lose."

Jack glared at Jon.

"Right…Like one, like all." Jon sighed, knowing that if he had been in Jack's shoes he would have done the exact same thing. "What are you going to tell the others?"


	16. Saying Goodbye

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N:__ Wow, you guys have no idea how difficult this chapter was to write. As promised, the unexpected character is in this chapter, which is part of the reason it was so hard to write. This chapter is going to require a certain amount of SOB (suspension of belief). Now, that's not to say that this is outside the realm of possibility in the SG1 universe, but it might be stretching those boundaries just a little, you decide. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter…we're almost done. _

_Spoilers:__ 717/18 "Heroes Part 1&2"_

**Chapter 15: ****Saying Goodbye ****–**

Jack moved silently away from camp before anyone else awoke, confident in the fact that Jon was watching out for them.

**Λ**

_Flashback:_

_"Any idea what will happen in there?" Jon asked, breaking the long silence._

_"Oh, there'll be another test and I'll either get another artifact or I'll get the sangral, really not sure which." Jack shrugged._

_"Jack…"_

_"Jon." Jack interrupted__h__is tone of voice warning Jon not to finish.__ Jack sighed. "There's only one reason I told you all of this Jon. I knew that you would understand better than anyone else why I have to finish this." Jon nodded. "I'm trusting you Jon to help me finish this…" Jack sighed. "…and to explain to the others__ when the time comes__."_

**Λ**

Jack was getting pretty used to these meetings with the ascended knights of Arthur. But still, he had to say that he was glad this was the last one.

"Hello Jack." A soft spoken and familiar voice broke into Jack's thoughts.

"Doc?" Jack exclaimed in surprise. Realizing his mistake, Jack continued. "Sorry, Lancelot. I keep forgetting that you guys look like people I know. Although I am surprised by the fact that you're a woman."

"No Jack, it's really me."

"Soooo, the test has begun."

"Not yet."

"Then…" Jack's voice cracked. "This isn't possible, I saw your body after…And I thought I was supposed to be meeting with one of Arthur's knights…"

"Sit Jack, before you pass out." The small woman said as she moved closer.

"The consummate doctor, eh Janet?" Jack smiled fondly, yet sadly. "Even in de… (clears throat) …ascended form?"

Janet smiled. "Always Jack."

"So how is it that you're…here?"

"You were right earlier…when you called me Lancelot..."

"But you said that you were Janet." Jack stiffened visibly.

"I am."

"Doc…" Jack whined.

"I was once Lancelot, knight of King Arthur's court." Janet began. "After being told by Merlin that it was not yet time for this quest to be fulfilled, I lived out my life on this planet. I lived a long and full life. When it came down to the end, Merlin came to see me, but I refused to ascend." Jack raised an eyebrow. "I had given my word that I would protect the sangral until it was time for it to be found, but I wasn't ready to ascend, so Merlin sent me back. I was reborn on another planet. For several hundred years I was reincarnated. I lived on various planets around the galaxy, as both men and women, and fulfilled different occupations. Each time when it came time for me to die, Merlin would come to me and I would remember everything from all previous lives. Finally, I ended up on earth as Janet Frasier." Janet paused and sighed. "On P3X-666 I died too quickly, Merlin didn't have a chance. Ironically, the one time I wasn't offered ascension I was finally ready to ascend."

"So what happened?" Jack prompted Janet when the silence became interminable.

"I came back as another little girl on earth. When I was one, my parents were in a car crash, no one survived…"

"But you had time to make your decision to ascend." Jack finished for her.

Janet smiled and nodded.

"So…" Jack began. "What's on the agenda for today?"

Janet's smile faded. "There's one final test."

Jack nodded and Janet reached over and placed her hand on his chest, just over his heart. Instantly, the two were no longer standing in the alien temple, but were instead in the gateroom at the SGC.

The lights were dim and no one was around. Before Jack could say anything, the blast doors opened. Jack's breath was taken away by the sight before him.

"Hey Dad!" The young woman said as a smile lit up her features.

"Jackie." Jack managed to choke out.

Jackie frowned at Jack's reaction. "You okay Dad?" She asked as she walked over to him.

His eyes begging for help and understanding, Jack turned toward Janet.

"You've already proven that you're willing to die in order to fulfill this quest." Janet sighed. "But were you aware that if you do so Jackie will never exist?"

Jack stared in horror between Janet and Jackie. He was torn. He'd had a chance to get to know Jack and didn't want to lose her.

"Janet…" He croaked again.

"I'm sorry Jack, there's nothing I can do."

"Dad?"

With that one word Jack saw Jackie's life in fast-forward. He saw her birth, her first steps, heard for first words and saw himself saying goodbye on her first day of school. He watched as she graduated from high school, college, and receive her first Ph.D.

Suddenly Jack was thrown back through all of his actual memories of Jackie. He remembered the first time they met in his office at the Pentagon, her telling him she was there from the future to save his ass and pulling it off.

With fondness, and a little sadness, Jack remembered the alternate Jackie who was both vulnerable and kick ass as she took on a battle against Adria that she never should have had to face.

He remembered worrying about her and yet trusting her implicitly with is life because she was trained by the best and she was a part of him…

Jack's eyes suddenly came back into focus. "I'm sorry Jackie."

"Jack?" Janet asked in confusion.

Without breaking eye contact with Jackie, Jack elaborated. "Although I only had a short time with Jackie, I grew to love her and was proud of her for the woman she had become. Ever since that first day that she beamed into my office and mouthed off to me, I've looked forward to being a father again." Jack paused and took a deep breath. "But how could I face her knowing that I condemned the galaxy to the Ori so that she could exist. I couldn't face myself, much less her if I made that choice." Jack finally broke eye contact with Jackie to look at Janet.

"So you're just going to let her slip from existence?" Janet demanded. "What about her coming back to save your sorry ass? That will be impossible if she never exists!"

"I already let one kid down Janet! I won't put my family through that again!"

**Λ**

Jack slowly made his way back to camp. He knew everyone would be awaiting his report, but he really didn't want to face them just yet. He had thought that Galahad's test had been the toughest…but he hadn't realized how much he was looking forward to being a father again until it was ripped away from him.

"Jack!" Daniel called as Jack approached. As he headed towards Jack, Jon's hand shot out to stop him.

"Wait Daniel." Jon admonished as he took in the look on Jack's face. Turning to the others he announced, "Let's pack it up Campers, we're on the move again!"

Daniel gave Jon a funny look, but, remembering how well the Lieutenant knew the General, he let it slide for the time being. As Jack approached, Daniel noticed a strange glint coming from around Jack's neck and another from his left hand.

Approaching Daniel, Jack pulled off the medallion that Janet had given him and handed it to Daniel before moving passed him silently.

"Uh, Jack?" Daniel asked tentatively as he put the medallion with the other items. When Jack turned around to acknowledge him, Daniel pointed to his left hand.

Jack glared at Daniel, daring him to say something. When Daniel backed off, Jack continued on his way.

"Was that a wedding ring on General O'Neill's left hand?" Rodney asked as he looked at the medallion Daniel had just put down.

"We have stuff to pack." Daniel snapped as he snatched the medallion away from McKay and hurried to pack his things.

"It was a simple question."

"Mind your own damn business McKay." Jon bit out as he grabbed a load to put in the jumper.

"Is everyone in a bad mood today?" McKay complained.

**Λ**

By the time everything was loaded and they were headed back to the planet Arthur had been on, everyone had noticed the ring on Jack's left ring finger. However, everyone kept their mouths shut. They could all sense Jack's mood and most knew better than to bother him.

As the jumper approached the gate, Jon dialed and then, instead of going through, he landed the jumper a few feet away. Everyone looked at him in confusion.

"Don't look at me." Jon shrugged. "He's the one getting off." Everyone followed Jon's motions toward Arthur.

"My time with you is done. I must now return to my people. They have long awaited my return and I can no longer keep them waiting." Arthur's attention turned to Jack. "Good luck my friend. The Ancients could not have chosen a better man."

Everyone said farewell and watched as Arthur stepped through the event horizon. As the stargate shut down, Jon began to dial the address for their destination. As he pressed the first symbol, a strange white light filled the jumper.

The others watched in awe as the white mass stopped in front of Jack and hovered there.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were gone." Jack addressed the white mass. He paused, apparently listening to the answer. "I understand that, but you can't go the…" Pause again. "Are you sure?" Pause again, this time there was a marked relaxing of Jack's features. "Thank you."

As quickly as it appeared, the white mass was gone.

"Was that a…?" Daniel stuttered.

"A what Daniel?" Jack asked, speaking to his team for the first time since returning to camp.

"An Ancient?" Daniel finally managed to finish.

Jack nodded. "One of the knights had one more thing to tell me before joining the others." Turning to Jon he continued. "This jumper won't fly itself Lieutenant."

"No Sir." Jon snapped to at the commanding tone of voice. Quickly he dialed the gate and steered the jumper through.

**Λ**

It hadn't taken Jack long to realize that he had to reenter the hidden chamber where he had first found Arthur. Once again in the spacious room, Jack looked around curiously. Taking a more careful look around then he had the first time he'd been in the chamber, it wasn't long until Jack knew exactly where he was supposed to be.

Letting out a groan at the discovery, Jack walked slowly across the room. The device looked a lot like an Ancient repository, and Jack half expected it to be activated by him walking across the room. Much to his delight, it wasn't. As he drew closer, however, Jack realized why. This repository was a little different. Instead of having a circle or something on the floor that activated it when walked across, there were four indentations in the wall that looked suspiciously like they were made for a sword, a dagger, a ring, and a medallion.

"Well, I'll be damned." Jack muttered. "Guess the Ancients really wanted to be sure that the correct path was followed."

Slowly, Jack placed the items in their respective crevices. As he slipped the ring in, the repository finally came to life. Jack had to wonder why the Ancients would deem it necessary that he stick his head in one of these damn things again, when he already had the knowledge of the Ancients in his head. Remembering just what was at stake if he failed, Jack swallowed his annoyance and stuck his head in the device.

Jack was pleasantly surprised when the device didn't automatically grab his head. Instinctively, thanks to the knowledge already in his head, Jack realized that this device was like the Ancient assembler that SG1 came across when they found Merlin.

Allowing his instincts, and the Ancient knowledge, to take over, Jack began using the Ancient assembler.


	17. The Origin

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N:__Man,__ and I thought the last one was difficult to write. I could totally see this chapter playing out in my head, but I'm not sure if I captured it completely, or did it justice, but I can't seem to add any more to it…please let me know what you think about this chapter. We're nearing the end guys…I haven't decided if I'm going to do one more chapter and an epilogue, or if I'm going to have to split it into two chapters and an epilogue, I guess we'll see. Happy reading!_

_Spoilers:__ 903 "Origin" (Curriculum Vitae chapter 3)_

_Daniel's Prophecy: __The__ One, who is the sentinel of the Fifth Race, will be of great character and mind. His path will lead him to __**the Origin**__. As the Guardian the essence of his core will give him victory. The die has been cast._

**Chapter 16: The Origin –**

The simple fact that everyone had one eye on what they were doing, and one eye on the road to the temple, meant that everyone saw Jack coming down the road at the same time. They all swarmed Jack, all of them talking at the same time.

"Ah!" Jack interrupted with hands up. "Just because I'm using more of my brain doesn't mean that I can understand all of you talking at once." Then, as if to contradict what he'd just said, Jack proceeded to answer most of their questions. "We're not quite ready to leave the planet yet, Jon, there are a few things left to do. To answer the rest of you, yes I have the sangral, no you may not see it."

"But Jack…" Daniel began.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Jack exclaimed, cutting him off. "I said no, and I mean no."

"If you have the sangral, O'Neill, why are we not leaving?" Teal'c asked.

"Glad you asked, T." Jack smiled. "There are a few things that need to be done first. T, Mitchell, Daniel and Jon will be doing some heavy lifting and moving; Carter, McKay and Vala will be integrating new devices with the jumper."

"New devices?" McKay exclaimed. "What are you talking about?"

Jack simply handed McKay a rolled up parchment with a smile and walked away. "Let's pack it up Campers, we've got a lot of work to do."

**Λ**

After loading the jumper and flying it closer to the temple, Jack led Teal'c, Cam, Jon, and Daniel into the large central chamber.

"Jon you're with me." Jack said as he moved toward the wall. He showed Jon the place to put his hand and then put his own on Jon's shoulder while Jon touched the wall.

Instantly the two were transported into Arthur's chamber. "Sweet." Jon whistled as he looked around. Seeing the Ancient assembler on the other side of the room, however, he had the same initial reaction to it that Jack had.

"It's not a repository." Jack explained. "It's an assembler, it allows me to build things quickly and easily based on designs in my head."

"Cool." Jon replied. "So why am I in here with you?"

"Because of your…genetics, I figured we had a better chance of you being able to come through the wall than anyone else, and someone's going to have to transport the devices out of here to the others, who will take them to Carter and McKay, while I continue to build things."

Jon looked at the couple of devices that already sat next to the assembler. "I'm going to need Teal'c for a couple of these."

**Λ**

Over the next several hours, Jack built, the guys transported, and the scientists worked on integrating the many devices with the jumper.

At first, Sam was skeptical about Vala's abilities to help in the process. But she soon realized that Vala's expertise as a thief actually made her an invaluable asset to the project. Of course, Sam and Vala couldn't help but roll their eyes at the constant mumbling and complaining coming from McKay. A small part of Sam felt sorry for McKay, after all, he was used to being the top specialist on Ancient technology, but it was only a small part. Over all, she was thoroughly enjoying the whole situation.

Before long, the rest of the team joined Sam, Rodney, and Vala at the jumper. Only a few minutes after they arrived, Rodney finished integrating the last device and turned toward the others.

"What now?" Rodney asked warily.

"Now we go." Jack replied simply.

**Λ**

No one was overly surprised when Jack took over as pilot of the jumper. Considering that no one really knew what was going to happen next, except Jack, they all felt that it was probably a smart move.

As they exited the stargate, Jack turned the nose of the jumper up and headed out of the atmosphere of the planet. The moment that they entered space, every single member of the team knew exactly where they were, and where they were headed. Although quite a distance away, the supergate was clearly visible. As they drew closer to the gate, the team took in another sight, an Ori ship standing guard near the gate.

When the jumper was no more than a couple dozen feet off the bow of the Ori ship, Jack reached over to the dialing device in the jumper and began to dial.

"Supergate or not, you aren't going to be able to dial another galaxy. Jumpers don't have the ability to dial 8 symbols." McKay spoke up petulantly.

Jack simply ignored the annoying, and annoyed, scientist and continued to dial. As the others watched, and silently counted the first seven symbols locked. As Jack reached for the eighth symbol, everyone waited with baited breath to see what would happen. As the eighth symbol locked, everyone watched in fascination as the wormhole formed, shooting out and settling into a gentle ripple.

"What the hell?" McKay muttered.

"What do you think all those devices were for McKay?" Jack smirked. Turning back toward the front, Jack eased the jumper forward and through the supergate.

**Λ**

Jack realized more and more just how much he was relying on the Ancient knowledge in his head. That knowledge was the only reason he had been able to create the devices that made it possible to dial the supergate. It was the only way he could have possibly known the correct coordinates to dial. It was also the only reason that he now knew which planet to fly to. But most importantly, it was the only reason he now wore a smaller version of the sangral dangling around his neck and hidden beneath his shirt.

He knew that his team was worried about him. He'd been around them long enough to be able to feel the change in their moods. But he also know that at this point there really wasn't much he could do about it. He just hoped that they would one day find it within themselves to forgive him.

**Λ**

It wasn't long before Jack set the jumper down on one of the nearby planets, several clicks from the nearest village (which they had flown over).

"We don't have much time." Jack said as he stood up and moved toward the back. "Daniel…Teal'c, you're with me."

"What?!" The others replied in unison.

"I need Daniel to show me how to get to the Ori city and to the place where the Ori are." Jack replied sharply.

"Then I'm coming too." Vala demanded.

"Vala…" Jack said in a warning tone.

"I was there too Jack. I can help."

"Fine." Jack answered shortly. "The rest of you will wait here." Jack gave Jon a loaded look. "You have your orders Lieutenant."

"Yes Sir."

"General…"

"No Carter." Jack reacted sharply.

"But Sir…"

"Don't argue with me Carter, my decision is final."

**Λ**

"Jack?" Daniel ventured to break the silence as the four walked.

"What Daniel?" Jack responded warily.

"Why is Teal'c along? He doesn't know anything about the Ori city."

Jack stopped. "Once you've showed me to the room where the Ori are Daniel, the three of you are to head back to the jumper immediately. Teal'c is here to make sure that you make it back."

"We're not going to leave you Jack!" Daniel exclaimed.

"It will be easier to focus if I know that everyone else is safe. Besides, it will also be easier for me to get out by myself rather than four of us escaping." Jack explained. He could tell that the others weren't really buying it, but they all nodded in assent and the four continued on.

**Λ**

Jack was getting annoyed. Daniel and Vala had been continuously arguing as they made their way through the Ori city. Finally, the four stopped before two large doors.

"This it?" Jack asked.

"Yeah." Daniel muttered.

"So just on the other side of these two doors is a wall of fire, which is the Ori?" Jack clarified.

"Uh huh." Daniel sighed.

"Good. Teal'c, make sure these two get back to the jumper." Jack said, turning to the large Jaffa.

"I will O'Neill." Teal'c said with a bow of the head. Putting out his hand he continued. "Good luck my friend. Tek ma tay."

Jack reached over and grasped Teal'c's arm. "Tek ma tek, Teal'c."

With that, Teal'c led the other two away, hands on their arms to guide them back the way they had come.

Jack watched the three of them until they were around the corner. Once they were out of sight, he turned toward the double doors. Sighing deeply, he pulled them open and strode in purposefully.

On the opposite side of the room, stood a man with his back to the doors. As the two double doors slammed closed behind Jack, the man turned around, revealing a pale white face covered in scars – the typical look of the Ori priors.

"You must be the Doci." Jack broke the silence, once again speaking in Ancient.

"I am. How is it that you speak the tongue of the gods?"

"That's a long story, better saved for another time."

"What is it that you desire of the Ori?"

"Who me?" Jack's sarcasm came through. "Oh, nothing much. I'm just here to destroy them."

"That is not possible, the Ori are gods."

"About that…" Jack replied as he pulled a small medallion (the sangral) out from under his shirt.

Turning, Jack allowed the Ancient knowledge to completely take over. As he held the sangral up, there was a loud sound similar to the sound that a fire makes as it devours a path through the forest. As the sound grew louder, Jack extended his arms, and the sangral, toward the wall of fire. Closing his eyes, he allowed his energy to flow through him to the sangral.

The sangral began to glow. Just as a flame of fire came off the wall, flying toward Jack, the sangral came alive and shot a beam at the wall, stopping the single flame in its path, destroying it in the process. Jack, eyes now open, continued to put forth his energy into the sangral as it slowly began to whittle away at the wall of fire.

**Λ**

"Teal'c!" Daniel exclaimed as he was half dragged around the corner. "We can't just leave Jack back there alone!"

"Indeed." Teal'c said as he dropped his grip of his two teammates once they were around the corner.

"What?" Vala questioned.

"I agree with Daniel Jackson. I do not like leaving O'Neill to handle this alone." Teal'c responded. "However, O'Neill needed to believe that I was following his orders." Teal'c peaked around the corner, just in time to see Jack walk through the doors and the doors slam behind him.

"Come."

The three moved back down the hall that they had just backtracked down. When they came to the doors, Daniel reached forward to grab them.

"Wait Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said, as he placed a restraining hand on Daniel's shoulder. "We must be stealthy Daniel Jackson. We do not want to hinder O'Neill's fight."

Daniel nodded slowly and backed away from the door, giving Teal'c access. Slowly, Teal'c nudged just one of the doors open. What met his eyes as he peered through astounded him. Jack was standing in the middle of the room, hands outstretched with a small device held up between his hands. A red glow was emanating from the device, while a direct beam seemed to be aimed straight at the fiery wall across from Jack. Teal'c watched in astonishment as the red glow moved to surround Jack as the Doci attacked him from the side. When the Doci ran into the red glow, it threw him across the room – he landed unconscious at the base of the wall.

"What's happening Teal'c?" Daniel whispered.

"See for yourself Daniel Jackson." Teal'c responded as he opened the door wider.

The three stood in shocked silence, watching as Jack attacked the Ori. Suddenly, Daniel picked up on something that the other two missed. The beam was fluctuating. As Daniel's eyes flew to Jack, he could see that his strength was waning. Suddenly a memory flew across Daniel's mind.

_"This is not your task, Daniel Jackson. This destiny belongs to another, though you will play a part."_

"Of course." Daniel sighed. Hurrying forward before either of the other two could stop him, Daniel stepped up to Jack. Reaching forward, Daniel's hand slid right through the red glow that surround Jack and rested on Jack's shoulder.

Instantly, Daniel could feel his strength coursing through his hand and into Jack. Meanwhile, Jack felt the renewed strength, but didn't question it. Somehow he knew that this was how it was supposed to happen. As Daniel's energy added to the energy flowing into the sangral, the beam aimed at the Ori increased.

Vala and Teal'c watched in astonishment as all this happened. Suddenly Vala tore her eyes away from the two in the middle of the room and met Teal'c's equally surprised look. Without a word, the two moved forward to join the other two.

Not sure what was guiding her actions, Vala reached out and placed her hand in Daniel's free one. Instantly, she could feel her energy joining Jack's and Daniel's.

Teal'c, instinctively knowing that his task was different, stood off to the side keeping an eye on his three teammates. He watched in fascination as the beam from the sangral tore into the Ori and destroyed them. Before his very eyes, the fiery wall slowly began to shrink, until it finally disappeared.

As the last of the Ori vanished from existence, the glow from the sangral began to fade. In a heartbeat, Teal'c was at his team's side, ready to offer aid. Simultaneously Daniel and Jack crumpled. Vala, despite her own weakened state, managed to help support Daniel, while Teal'c caught Jack before he collapsed to the floor.

Unexpectedly, the building around them began to shake.

"We do not have much time." Teal'c announced as he scooped Jack up and headed toward the door. "We must hurry."

Daniel and Vala followed after Teal'c, both supporting the other.

The three conscious members of the team watched in shock as the rings disappeared after transporting them back to the planet. Recovering quickly, Teal'c took off toward the jumper.

"Jackson to Lt. O'Neill." Daniel called over the radio.

"Daniel where the hell are you?" Jon demanded angrily.

"Long story…don't have time to explain. We're headed your way from the rings. Jack is unconscious. We're going to need you to come get us so that we can get off this rock quickly."

Static was the only answer to Daniel's message, although later he would always swear that he could hear snippets of Jon cursing up a blue streak. Moments later, the jumper landed in front of them. Once they were all safely on board, Jon turned the jumper toward space and the supergate, their one way home.

"What happened?" Sam asked as looked between Jack's unconscious form and the two exhausted forms of Daniel and Vala.

Daniel sighed. "The One, who is the sentinel of the Fifth Race, will be of great character and mind. His path will lead him to the Origin. As the Guardian the essence of his core will give him victory. The die has been cast." His eyes finally moved up to meet Sam's. "The sangral…the reason it didn't work before when we sent it through the supergate…it needed the human touch…it was powered…" Daniel sighed again. "It was powered by Jack's energy and strength."

"Ah crap."

Every head in the jumper (that wasn't unconscious of course) turned toward to front of the jumper in reaction to Jon's exclamation.

Momentarily forgetting about Jack's condition, every member of the expedition moved silently toward the front of the jumper as they stared mutely out the front window. There, where the supergate was supposed to be, was a field of debris and what looked like the remnants of the supergate.

"Damn…"


	18. Lost in Space

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N:__For__ those of you who are also SGA fans, I started writing this story before I knew what was going to happen this season. So this story definitely takes place before SGA season 4. __In fact, I think it really happens before the season 3 finale, but after SG1's series finale…if that makes sense._

_So once again this story as evolved as I write. I was totally not planning the little surprise near the end__ of this chapter__, but went with it once it happened. So please bear with me. __T__he end is in sight__After this chapter there is a 2-parter, an epilogue and I'm done! __Woohoo__Sorry about the delay in posting, but my internet has been sketchy these last couple of weeks. Don't forget to review!_

_Spoilers:__ I have gone so far past the show at this point that this section seems rather pointless…_

_Last time:_

_Momentarily forgetting about Jack's condition, every member of the expedition moved silently toward the front of the jumper as they stared mutely out the front window. There, where the supergate was supposed to be, was a field of debris and what looked like the remnants of the supergate._

_"Damn…" _

**Chapter 17: ****Lost in Space****–**

"What do we do now?" Cam asked.

"We plot a course for the closest planet with a stargate and dial earth." Jon answered distractedly as he began to do just that.

"Are you crazy?" McKay demanded. "We don't even know where the hell we are or how far we are from the Milky Way Galaxy. The chances of finding a stargate with enough power to send us to earth are slim to none."

"Do you have a better idea McKay?" Jon snapped. "Or are you just intent on focusing on the negative?"

Silently, Sam left Jack's side and moved toward the front of the jumper.

"Arguing is counterproductive." Sam hissed. "Jon, will the jumper's computer show us the placement of galaxies?"

Not wanting to argue with Sam, Jon turned to check. To everyone's surprise, a picture popped up on the screen showing the Ori Galaxy, the Milky Way galaxy, _**and**_ the Pegasus Galaxy.

"Well I'll be damned." Jon muttered. "Would our chances be any better if we aimed for Atlantis instead of Earth?" He asked as he turned toward Rodney.

"I don't…"

"Damn it McKay!" Jon exploded. "Jack is back there, possibly dying. We need a solution, not more negativity! Jack managed to get us here, so one of those devices you installed has to be an energy source."

Without another word, McKay set to work on the devices. When Sam turned to return to join Teal'c, Daniel and Vala at Jack's side, Jon reached out a hand to stop her.

"Sam…"

"Plot a course for Atlantis Jon." Sam interrupted.

"But…"

"Now Lieutenant!" Sam barked.

"Yes Ma'am." Jon sighed. Turning around, Jon did as ordered, the whole time wondering how he was supposed to deliver Jack's messages.

**Λ**

Three days passed. Jon stayed on course, Rodney was glued to his computer, and the others watched in anticipation, hoping that everything would work itself out.

Since breaking up the fight between Jon and Rodney, Sam hadn't left Jack's side, checking his vitals at regular intervals. She, better than anyone else, knew the importance of getting to Atlantis soon.

"Damn he's good." McKay broke his three day long silence.

"What are you muttering about McKay?" Cam asked.

"O'Neill planned everything we would need in a worst case scenario."

Sam looked over at McKay. "What do you mean?"

McKay stood shaking his head.

"McKay!?"

"One of these devices is a hyperdrive, powered by a miniature Zed-PM."

**Λ**

"Plot a course for the closest Pegasus Galaxy planet with a stargate." McKay muttered.

"I thought we were traveling to Atlantis." Vala interjected.

"We are." Jon answered.

"But…?"

"It'll be faster if we fly to the closest planet with a stargate and gate to Atlantis rather than fly the whole way." Jon replied.

"Oh."

"McKay, you ready yet?" Jon called.

"Just a minute…" McKay called back. "…okay…" He continued as he took the seat across the console from Jon. "…you realize this may not work."

"Can it McKay." Jon grumbled.

"But…"

"Shut. Up." Jon hissed, looking over his shoulder at Teal'c, Daniel, and Sam sitting in the back with Jack. "Think about it McKay, if we do this we _**may**_ die…but if we don't do this we will _**all**_ die, starting with Jack."

Rodney sighed. "Opening hyperspace window now…"

**Λ**

As the days passed, the seven conscious members of the sangral team settled into a routine.

Jon and Rodney took turns piloting the jumper.

Vala and Cam helped wherever they could.

Daniel and Teal'c took turns making sure that Sam ate and slept.

"We have a problem." McKay announced.

"What now?" Jon sighed.

"Being in hyperspace is draining the miniature Zed-PM." McKay answered.

"There's a duffle in the back with spare parts, check there." Jon replied.

"Wow!"

"Find what you need?"

"What I need?" McKay scoffed. "This is the mother lode."

Jon chuckled and shook his head. "O'Neills aren't so dumb after all, huh McKay?"

**Λ**

After nine days in hyperspace, the jumper dropped out above the designated planet, while McKay was flying.

"Jon!"

"Wha…" Jon answered sleepily.

"JON!"

"What the hell is so important that you had to disturb my sle…"Jon grumbled as he moved forward, stopping when he saw what had McKay so agitated. "Damn. Please tell me we're cloaked."

"I'm not an idiot." McKay grumbled.

"Move." Jon pushed McKay out of the pilot's seat. "How did we not know about this?"

"Know about wha…damn." Cam exclaimed as he looked out the front. "What the hell is that?"

"Wraith ships…five of them according to the jumper's sensors." Jon answered. "McKay! How did we not know about this?"

"There was no way to know." McKay defended. "This isn't known as a wraith planet, and these stupid jumpers don't have long range sensors."

"So what's happening?" Cam asked.

"There's no way to know for sure." Jon replied. "But they're probably culling the planet below."

"And what does that mean for us?" Vala inquired, coming up behind Cam.

"Well…"

"First of all it means that the stargate will be locked in so that none of the people can get away." Rodney interrupted Jon.

"Is that ship heading this way?" Cam asked.

"Damn." Jon muttered as he steered the jumper to another quadrant. "They must have sensed us coming out of hyperspace."

"Jon!"

"What is it with everyone yelling my name?" Jon muttered as he turned toward the back of the jumper. "What Sam?"

"General O'Neill is getting worse."

"When it rains…" Jon muttered as he turned back. "What are our options McKay?"

"We need to head toward the closest planet with a stargate."

"There's no time for that McKay! We need to get through that gate." Jon exclaimed.

"Is there not another planet in the vicinity?" Teal'c questioned.

"We can't jump into hyperspace without being detected, T." Jon answered. "We'd have to fly a safe distance away before jumping."

"What are we going to do then?" Cam asked.

"How many drones does this jumper have?" Daniel asked as he joined the group in the front.

"A few." Jon answered. "But not enough to take out five wraith ships."

"What if they were well placed shots? There's got to be one place on those ships that could seriously cripple the entire ship if it was hit."

"You've been watching too much Star Wars with Teal'c, Daniel." Jon said.

"Well whatever we do we better do it fast." Daniel said as he glanced toward the back. "Jack's getting worse."

"Damn it!" Jon exclaimed. "There's just too many. We may have to make a run for it. McKay…"

"What about Jack's devices?" Vala interrupted. "He's planned for every other problem. Could he have foreseen this?"

Jon and McKay shared a look before McKay pushed through the crowd of people toward the back. Ten minutes later he came pushing back through.

"I wouldn't say you're a genius Vala, but you have your moments." McKay commented as he settled into his seat.

"What'd you find?" Jon demanded.

"Daniel may not have been far off with his Star Wars reference. I could explain the rest to you…but that would take too long. It will be easier and faster if I do it."

"Oh for cryin' out loud." Jon sighed as he relinquished his seat. McKay took over quickly, pausing only to type a couple commands into his computer before flying directly toward the closest of the wraith ships.

"Sam!" McKay called over his shoulder. No answer. "Damn it Sam! I'm going to need your help if we're going to get General O'Neill to Atlantis in time."

Within seconds Sam had taken Jon's place in the co-pilot's seat and the two scientists were techno-babbling back and forth. As the others watched in amazement, McKay would move close to a wraith ship, Sam would read off numbers, calibrate something on the computer, and then McKay would send off a couple of drones to strategic points on the wraith ships. Within 20 minutes all five wraith ships were destroyed.

"We still have the wraith darts to deal with." McKay said off-handedly as he turned the jumper toward the planet.

"Can't we just shoot them?" Cam asked.

"We could…but most of them will have people on board." Jon replied.

Everyone was quiet as they contemplated their options.

"What if we extended the shield around the stargate?" Sam suggested.

"What good would that do?" Cam scoffed.

"With all the wraith ships destroyed the darts will use the stargate." McKay explained.

"So without the stargate…"

"They won't have anywhere to go." Jon finished Daniel's comment.

"What will they do?" Vala asked.

"Not exactly sure," McKay admitted. "But it might be worth finding out."

The three USAF officers shared a look, coming to a unanimous decision.

"Fly us down to the gate, Rodney." Sam said as she typed away at the computer.

Within moments, the jumper was settled down in front of the gate and the shield was extended around it. Everyone watched in fascination as the darts that had been heading toward the gate suddenly stopped their forward momentum and simply hovered above the ground.

"We don't have time for this!" Sam exploded as the minutes dragged on and the darts simply continued to hover.

"Rodney, would it be possible to hit the dart with a drone in an area that wouldn't completely destroy it?" Jon asked.

"Maybe…" Rodney trailed off as he thought.

Suddenly a drone was flying away from the jumper and hit one of the drones, causing it to hit the ground. Almost instantaneously, people appeared outside of the dart and began to run.

"How the hell…" Cam and Jon said simultaneously.

"I spent weeks studying a dart, I had almost forgotten that there was a trigger for the storage device if hit just right." McKay answered proudly.

"Quit boasting McKay!" Jon exclaimed. "And finish it."

"Right."

It wasn't long before all the darts were destroyed and the people of the planet were set free. Once that was done, they simply had to wait for the gate to power down before dialing Atlantis.

**TBC**


	19. Curriculum Vitae Part 1

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N:__So, here's part 1 of the final 2-parter. This story has seriously been difficult to finish. I'll be writing and just shoot a glance at the bottom of my computer screen to see that I have 8 pages and over 2000 words in a document, so I feel that I need to break it up, which has already added an extra chapter, we'll see how many parts this final chapter has to be broken up into before I'm done…Don't forget to review!_

_Previously__(Chapter 15): _

_The others watched in awe as the white mass stopped in front of Jack and hovered there_

_"Was that a…?" Daniel stuttered._

_"A what Daniel?"__ Jack asked, speaking to his team for the first time since returning to camp._

_"An Ancient?"__ Daniel finally managed to finish._

_Jack nodded. "One of the knights had one more thing to tell me before joining the others."_

**Chapter 18****Curriculum Vitae ****Part ****One****–**

_Flashback:_

_Everyone said farewell and watched as Arthur stepped through the event horizon. As the stargate shut down, Jon began to dial the address for their destination. As he pressed the first symbol, a strange white light filled the jumper._

_Jack could see the amazement on everyone else's faces out of the corner of his eye, but he was focused on the face of the being in front of him. He couldn't help but show his annoyance and concern as he addressed the Ancient._

_"What are you doing here? I thought you were gone." Jack addressed __Janet_

_"I was. But I wanted to make sure that you're alright. I still can't help believing that you are giving up an awful lot for this cause. I also wanted to make sure that the others would be okay._

_"I understand that, but you can't go the…"_

_"Your sacrifice may not be as great as you originally thought Jack." Janet interrupted as a huge smile spread across her face. "Jackie has already been conceived."_

_"Are you sure?"__ Jack asked breathlessly._

_"Am I sure?" Janet repeated sarcastically. "Not only was I a doctor in a former life Jack, but I was your doctor, and now an Ancient. So yeah, I'd say I'm sure."_

_T__here was a marked relaxing of Jack's features. "Thank you."_

_"You're welcome Jack. Good luck."_

_And with that she was gone, or so Jack thought. Little did any of the others realize, but Janet actually stayed with them all the way to the supergate. Having had a fairly good idea of how things were going to happen – both because she was an Ancient and because she knew this team so well – Janet placed ideas in Jack's head for devices to add to the jumper._

_Janet wished so much to go through the supergate to help her friends, but as Jack dialed another Ancient appeared in the jumper._

_"You know you cannot go with them Janet."_

_"I want to help them Skaara." Janet replied._

_"I know. But you cannot, you will not survive and the __Others__ have another task for you." Skaara replied in understanding_

_"What other task?" Janet asked in surprise._

_"You are to meet O'Neill and his team at Atlantis."_

**Λ**

Little did the Atlantis expedition realize that there was an ancient hanging around the city, much less waiting impatiently by the gate. Every time the gate activated, Janet would stand impatiently, only to slump back again when it was an SGA team.

"Damn it Skaara." Janet fumed as Skaara stepped up beside her. "It's been 12 days since they went through the supergate."

"I am aware Janet."

"I knew I should have gone with them!"

"You would have done O'Neill no good if you ceased to exist." Skaara admonished. "However, I have been sent to bring you to O'Neill."

"What?!"

"O'Neill is not doing well and may not last long enough to make it to Atlantis."

**Λ**

Shortly after Skaara and Janet stepped through the stargate, the wraith appeared. The two ascended beings watched in sad silence as the culling began.

"They are here." Skaara announced.

Instantaneously, the two ascended beings had joined their friends in the jumper. Skaara moved forward to aid where he could, while Janet moved to Jack's side. She watched for a moment as Sam gently and meticulously checked Jack's vitals.

A small smile spread across Janet's face as she saw a small gold glint coming from Sam's left hand. Her joy was short lived however. Her smile faded suddenly as she mentally scanned Jack. Realizing just how little time he had left, Janet reached over and touched Jack's shoulder.

"Jon!" Sam exclaimed in concern as she too realized how bad off Jack was.

**Λ**

_Jack slowly opened his eyes to take in a sight he wasn't expecting. Slowly he turned around and scanned the Atlantis gateroom…completely deserted._

_"Hello? __Anyone here?"__ Jack called._

_"Hi Jack."_

_Jack spun around to see Janet standing in front of the Atlantis stargate._

_"What happened? How did I get here?"_

_"Slow down Jack." Janet smiled._

_"The last thing I remember is being in the Ori city using the sangral. How the hell did I get here?" Jack paused as realization hit. __"Daniel, Teal'c__ and Vala."_

_"One of the devices you made for the jumper was a hyperdrive. The supergate would have been destroyed as the Ori were."_

_Jack frowned. "How long has it been?"_

_"You went through__the supergate to the Ori galaxy __12__ days ago."_

_"__12__ days?!__ I have no recollection of that." Jack exclaimed._

_"You've been unconscious since using the sangral."_

_"But I'm okay now. We're in Atlantis now, I'm walking around…" Jack trailed off._

_"I'm sorry Jack." Janet sighed. "Your physical body is still in the jumper along with your team, on the outskirts of the Pegasus galaxy."_

_"Why aren't we in Atlantis?"_

_"They're fighting through a wraith obstacle, but it shouldn't be long."_

_"So if we're still 'out there'," J__a__ck motioned up and out. "How am I see__ing__ this?"_

_"You're dying Jack." Janet finally said._

_"So this is the light at the end of the tunnel?" Jack replied sarcastically._

_Janet smiled. "No Jack. I'm here to help you ascend."_

**Λ**

Atlantis –

"Unscheduled offworld activation."

Elizabeth stepped into the control room at the announcement.

"Receiving IDC Ma'am."

"Who is it?"

"Lieutenant O'Neill Ma'am."

"What?"

The technician shrugged.

"Open a channel." Elizabeth ordered. At the tech's signal, Elizabeth addressed Jon. "Lieutenant, I'm a bit surprised to be hearing from you. I thought that I would hear from the SGC first."

_"Under normal circumstances you would, Dr. Weir. But we're not coming from Earth."_ Jon replied.

"Where are you coming from Lieutenant."

_"We'll debrief you once we arrive in Atlantis, Dr. Weir. But right now we need to get back, General O'Neill needs emergency medical attention."_

"What's wrong with him Lieutenant?"

_"He's dying."_

**Λ**

_"Help me ascend?" Jack scoffed. "Sorry Janet, I really don't think ascension is for me."_

_"The __Others__ disagree Jack." Janet replied calmly. "After everything that you have gone through in your lifetime, and especially after sacrificing yourself and everything you hold dear to protect the __universe__, they think you are ready."_

_"Have they not looked at my record? I'm worse than Daniel at following rules." _

_"Jack." Janet admonished._

_"What? It's true."_

_Janet smiled and shook her head. "You're not going to make this easy are you?"_

**Λ**

A medical team met the jumper in the jumper bay and immediately rushed Jack to the infirmary. Sam followed closely behind until a wave of dizziness slowed her down.

"Sam?" Daniel asked in concern.

"I'm fine Daniel, just a little dizzy. Guess running was a bad idea after spending so much time cooped up in the jumper." Sam explained. "I should be fine shortly."

Daniel wasn't completely convinced, but he wanted to get to the infirmary almost as much as she did. It was their thing. SG1 had been doing it for a decade. When one of them was in the infirmary, everyone else was there until that person was better.

"Come on Sam." Daniel said as he wrapped an arm around her. "Let's get to the infirmary."

As the two stepped away from the wall and continued toward the infirmary, Teal'c came up behind and stood on the other side of Sam both allowing her to rest on them as they continued after their friend and teammate.

Upon arriving at the infirmary, all the members of the sangral team were immediately swept away for their post-mission physicals. As they finished up, Dr. Weir stepped into the infirmary to check on them.

"You ready to debrief Lieutenant?" Elizabeth asked once she noticed that most of the members of the team had been cleared.

Jon looked around the room. He really wanted to stay, after all, it was what they did. But he knew that someone was going to have to debrief Elizabeth and the original SG1 deserved the chance to hang around the infirmary.

"Yes Ma'am, I believe we are." Jon finally answered. "If I may suggest, Dr. Weir, it should only be necessary for Colonel Mitchell, Dr. McKay, Vala and myself to attend the debriefing."

"I don't know Jon…"

"Doctor Weir, Colonel Carter is unable to attend the debriefing as she has not yet been released from the infirmary." Teal'c interrupted.

"Elizabeth, may I have a word with you? Privately?" Jon asked. When Elizabeth nodded, the two walked a slight distance away before Jon spoke again. "I haven't told the others yet Elizabeth, but Jack is dying, and he knew all along that this was going to happen."

Elizabeth stared at him in stunned silence. "You're sure?"

"Yes."

"But…how?"

"I'll explain that in the debriefing, explaining this to everyone was part of my final orders from Jack."

"Very well." Elizabeth sighed. "Colonel Mitchell, Vala, Rodney, you're with me."

Silently, the five walked out. Only Jon took a moment to look back at "his" team. He really dreaded telling them what he already knew.

**Λ**

An hour passed before Jon returned to the infirmary. Because everyone present at the debriefing already knew everything that Jack had shared with him, Cam and Vala had agreed to give him 30 minutes before they too returned to their team. Walking into the infirmary, Jon was in no way surprised to see three occupied seats next to Jack.

"How is he Dr. Keller?" Jon asked as he paused near the doctor.

"He's dying Lieutenant. There is absolutely nothing wrong with him that I can see, but he is still dying." Keller sighed.

"Perhaps this could help explain the situation Doc." Jon said as he handed her a computer. She gave him a funny look. "It's my preliminary report. Everything pertaining to General O'Neill and this last mission is in there."

Jon stood and watched as Keller read his report. He'd known he was going to have to explain this to the doc as well, so during the debriefing he had been working on putting together at least the part of the report that dealt with Jack. Keller looked up at Jon in horrified shock.

"You're sure about all of this?" Keller hissed, pulling Jon aside. Jon nodded. "Do the others know?"

"Mitchell, Vala, McKay, and Elizabeth know. But Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c don't yet."

Keller sighed in frustration, not really knowing what else to do. Just then one of the nurses came up and handed her a stack of labs.

"These are Colonel Carter's?" Keller asked the nurse.

"Yes Ma'am."

Keller flipped through the pages, scanning the results. Stopping on one page, Keller looked up at Sam, back at the paper, and back and forth for a long minute.

"Dr. Keller?" Jon interrupted her silent musings. "Is everything okay?"

"Does the SGC not do pre-mission physicals anymore?" Keller managed to stammer out.

"I don't know. I was never stationed at the SGC. But I don't remember them doing any before this mission." Jon shrugged.

Keller finally looked up at Jon. "I think your current mission just got a little harder Lieutenant."

"What? How?"

Without another word, Keller walked up to Jack's infirmary bed and cleared her throat to get the others' attention.

"Is something wrong Doctor Keller?" Teal'c questioned.

"Wrong isn't exactly the word I'd use." Keller started slowly. "Surprising, maybe, but not wrong."

"What is it?" Daniel prompted.

"Colonel, did you have a pre-mission physical before leaving the SGC?"

"No." Sam answered without looking away from Jack. "But we had just returned from another mission, so they didn't think that it was necessary."

"On your last post-mission physical did they do blood work?" Keller asked in exasperation.

"Of course."

"What is this about Dr. Keller?" Daniel asked in annoyance and concern.

Ignoring Daniel, Keller went back to questioning Sam. "Did they do a full work up of your blood?"

"I don't know."

"I believe that is a standard precaution Doctor Keller." Teal'c interrupted, also beginning to become concerned and annoyed, although only Daniel and Jon noticed.

"Why all these questions Dr. Keller?" Daniel asked, concern overwhelming his annoyance. "Did you find something?"

"I did."

At this Sam finally looked up. "Is it something I could have caught while on this mission?"

Keller sighed. "It's possible, but highly unlikely. I'd have to run some more tests to know for sure, but according to this, I'd guess that you've had this for about seven or eight weeks."

"What?!" Sam, Daniel, and Jon all exclaimed simultaneously.

"How is it possible that she's had something for seven or eight weeks but no one has known about it?" Jon demanded.

"The easiest explanation is that you have been on this quest for a month, so really Dr. Lam only missed it for three, maybe four weeks, and in all fairness it often takes that amount of time for it to show up on blood work." Keller tried to explain.

"Doctor, what is wrong with me." Sam whispered adamantly.

"Like I said earlier, wrong isn't necessarily the right word…"

"Spill it Doc." Jon interrupted.

"You're pregnant Colonel."


	20. Curriculum Vitae Part 2

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N:__Finally finished…well, except for the epilogue of course. I can't believe how long this dragged on. I almost had to divide this into another part, but I figured since it's the last chapter you could put up with 13 pages and over 4000 words. Yikes! Anyway, I hope you guys have enjoyed this __story;__ it's definitely been an adventure to write it. Look for the epilogue soon and don't forget to review.__ BTW, if there are still any questions or confusions about the story, now would be the time to let me know so that I can hopefully address them in the epilogue._

_Spoilers:__ 521__ "Meridian"_

_Last Time_

_"You're pregnant Colonel."_

**Chapter 1****9****Curriculum Vitae ****Part Two****–**

_Flashback:_

_Sam took a deep breath before raising her arm and knocking on the office door._

_"Enter." __Came__ the gruff reply._

_Sam slowly opened the door, stepped in and closed the door behind her. She stood at attention in front of the desk until Jack looked up to acknowledge her presence._

_"What's up Carter?" Jack asked off-handedly. The two had been at a much more comfortable place the last few weeks. What with Sam breaking up with Pete and Jack breaking up with __Kerry,__ the tension had been at a much lower level. Of course, everything hadn't been __perfect,__ Jacob had died around that time also, which had definitely put a damper on everyone's mood. But all in all, things were better._

_"I just came to give you this, Sir." Sam replied as she placed the paper she'd been carrying on his desk._

_"What is this Carter?" Jack asked as he looked up at her, not bothering to read it._

_Sam sighed. "It's my request for transfer, Sir."_

_"WHAT!?!?"__ Jack exclaimed rather loudly._

_"I'm requesting a transfer to Area-51, Sir." Sam replied as she tried to keep her composure._

_"What the hell for Carter?" Jack demanded._

_"They've been trying to get me for years now, Sir. I just haven't gone because I've been needed here. But with the Goa'uld gone now…"_

_"You just thought you'd up and leave."_

_"I'm tired of putting my life on hold. The bad guys have been defeated…it's time I do something for myself. Please…Jack…" Sam responded quietly, almost too quietly for Jack to hear…almost._

_Jack sat down hard in his chair…not even realizing he'd been standing.__ "What is this really about?"_

_Sam took Jack's cue and took a seat in one of the chairs across the desk from him. "Before Dad died he told me not to let rules stand in the way of my happiness. I guess I've just been thinking about that a lot in the recent weeks." Sam sighed and looked down at her hands. This was not easy for her to do, but she had begun to realize that she was going to have to do something if anything was to get done. "I'm not so much leaving the SGC __as I am transferring out of your chain of__ command."_

_Jack sat back stunned. He knew exactly what she was insinuating, but he'd never thought that this would be happening._

_"Are you sure this is what you want?"_

_Sam finally looked up. "Yeah, I'm sure."_

_A smile spread across Jack's face as he signed the paper in front of him. "You know, there's a new Italian place in town I've __been wanting__ to try. __You up for Italian tonight?"_

_Sam smiled at the easiness that was once again between them. __"Sounds good.__Team night?"_

_Jack looked up at her for a moment, a small crease between his eyes letting her know that he was thinking. __"Actually…no."_

**Λ**

"You're what?!?" Cam exclaimed as he and Vala were filled in on the new details. "But how is that possible."

"Did you not get the talk about the birds and the bees as a kid Mitchell?" Jon chuckled.

"Very funny O'Neill." Cam practically growled. "What I meant by that statement was I didn't know Sam was even seeing someone."

"Well, technically…" Daniel began.

"Did you not notice the small band of gold around a very important finger on Sam's left hand Cam?" Vala interrupted.

"No." Cam replied petulantly. "When did that happen? And why wasn't I invited."

"I can actually answer both questions with one answer." Sam smiled. "I got married before you came to the SGC."

"So who's the lucky man?" Vala demanded. "Do we know him?"

"As a matter of fact," Sam replied, suddenly growing sad and glancing over at Jack. "You do."

The entire group grew solemn at Sam's announcement. Granted, Teal'c and Daniel knew, because they'd been at the wedding. And Jon knew because Jack had told him the night the two talked.

"Oh honey." Vala cooed as she moved closer to Sam. "This has got to be so hard on you."

"Vala…"

"Having to say goodbye and all."

"Damn it Vala." Jon moaned as he covered his face with his hand.

"What are you talking about Vala?" Sam asked in alarm.

"Thanks Vala." Jon sighed.

"You didn't tell them?" Cam exclaimed. "I thought that's why we gave you a few minutes alone with them."

"Jon, what are they talking about?"

"I tried Mitchell, but we got a little sidetracked with the news." Jon bit out.

"Jon…?" Sam was nearly in tears now.

"Jonathan O'Neill, of what do you speak?" Teal'c questioned loudly and authoritatively, effectively silencing everyone.

Jon sighed. "The night before going to see Lancelot, Jack and I had a long conversation. He shared some things with me that he hasn't told any of you."

"Such as?" Daniel demanded.

"When Jack stuck his head in the repository, the program Myrddin warned him that there would be sacrifices along the quest." Jon paused a moment. "Each and every one of the first three knights warned him of the same thing, but not until Gawain were they specific."

"What sacrifices Jon?" Sam whispered.

"Do you remember the prophecy that was found in the temple where the repository was?" Jon asked.

"The One, who is the sentinel of the Fifth Race, will be of great character and mind. His path will lead him to the Origin. As the Guardian the essence of his core will give him victory. The die has been cast." Daniel responded. "We already figured out that the prophecy was talking about Jack using his energy to power the sangral."

Jon sighed, if Jack wasn't already dying he would kill him for making him do this. "It took me until Vala's explanation about what happened with the sangral to finally put everything together." Jon looked sympathetically at Sam. "The sangral used Jack's energy…to a point that is killing him."

"No." Sam said hoarsely, shaking her head.

"He wanted me to tell you Sam that he loves you." Jon said as he squatted down in front of her, ignoring the others standing around. "He didn't choose this, he was chosen. If he could have walked away he would have, but you know Jack…he's honorable to the core. He couldn't walk away and condemn the universe to the Ori."

Jon watched as a single tear slid down Sam's face.

"This is what alternate Carter was talking about."

"What?" Jon asked.

Sam looked up at the rest of her team. "When we returned alternate Jackie to her reality."

Daniel nodded and placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. At that simple gesture, Sam broke down.

"I can't do this alone Daniel."

"You're not alone Samantha." Vala said as she too moved closer.

"Indeed you are not Colonel Carter-O'Neill."

Jon backed away from the group as they moved forward to comfort one of their own. He smiled sadly at the family they had become…that he was once a part of. He slowly turned and looked at Jack. Leaning over he whispered in his ear.

"You're a bastard Jack. A damn lucky bastard."

**Λ**

_Jack looked up in surprise. He hadn't expected to hear anyone, but there in front of him stood Jon. Jack turned and looked at Janet._

_"What is he talking __about.__"_

_"I believe that statement holds many meanings Jack." Janet replied cryptically._

_"See! This is exactly what I don't like about you 'ascended beings.'" Jack grumbled. "You can never give a person a straight answer.__" Jack looked at the younger version of __himself__ and sighed. "You're probably right__ though__."_

_Janet watched her friend as he struggled with the choice before him. "It's really a simple choice Jack…death or life on another plane of existence._

_"This choice is anything but simple Janet." Jack replied as he sat down on the steps to the control tower. "I have to decide which is worse – dying and leaving my family and friends behind or ascending, being able to watch over them but not do anything to intervene."_

_"What can I do to help Jack?"_

_"Give me time."_

_"Unfortunately that is something you don't have much of."_

**Λ**

Sam had reluctantly retired to her guest quarters only after Dr. Keller ordered her to and threatened to have security escort her. Everyone else had gone to their guest quarters only after Teal'c announced that he would take the first shift at Jack's side.

"O'Neill…"

**Λ**

_Jack looked up as the familiar booming voice began. He saw Teal'c standing in the middle of the gateroom facing Jack in what Jack called his "parade rest" stance._

_"I understand your call to duty and honor. I am only sorry that this duty will take you away from your unborn child."_

_Jack locked eyes with Janet. She could feel his desperation and sadness._

_"Your sacrifice will not go __unhonored__ brother. Jacquelyn O'Neill may not know her father personally, but she is by no means fatherless. She will know of you and your sacrifice. __Tek-ma-tek brother."_

_As "Teal'c" faded away, Jack rested his elbows on his thighs and his forehead on his interlaced fingers. Janet let him sit, knowing this choice wasn't going to be easy._

**Λ**

_"Jack."_

_Jack's head snapped up at the voice, as did Janet's. __There__, standing before them, was Sam._

_"I know I'm not supposed to be here, I'm __supposed__ to be resting. But I couldn't sleep. I had to tell you…we're having a baby Jack. You're going to be a father again." Sam bit her lip, trying not to cry. "I can't do this alone Jack. I know that Daniel and Teal'c will fill in where they can, but it isn't the same. You can't leave me to do this alone Jack."_

_"Come Colonel Carter-O'Neill, you must return to your quarters."_

**Λ**

Sam nodded silently at Teal'c. "I'm sorry Teal'c, I know I said I just wanted to tell him…guess I got a little carried away."

"You must think about your unborn child now Colonel Carter-O'Neill." Teal'c responded as he led her to the hall.

"I know…it's just so hard."

"Should I call Doctor Keller? Perhaps she could give you something to help you sleep."

"Thank you, but no. I'll just…" Sam paused and glanced around Teal'c at Jack's prone body. "Why are they doing this Teal'c? Why Jack? Why now?"

"Of whom do you speak Colonel Carter-O'Neill?"

Sam sighed. "The Ancients Teal'c, the Ancients."

**Λ**

_"There's no other option?" Jack asked through his hands._

_"Need I remind you that I was a doctor Jack?" Janet replied._

_"No."_

_"Look Jack," Janet continued as she knelt at the bottom of the stairs in front of Jack. "I'm sorry about all of this. If there was another option I'd gladly offer it…"_

_"I know Janet, I know." Jack finally looked back up at her.__ "Let's do this."_

_"Are you sure?" Janet replied in surprise._

_Jack glared at her. "I have two choices before me Janet. It's not hard to see which is the lesser of the two evils."_

_Janet sighed. "That's not exactly__ how we wanted you to make this decision."_

_"Come on Janet, this is me we're talking about. I'm not like Daniel, I'm not going to make the decision to ascend simply because it's a new adventure, something to try that I've never tried before." Jack admonished. "My life was good. I was finally married to the woman I love, work was becoming bearable, and I was finally in the same time zone as my family, friends, and wife. Suddenly the Ancients intervene and send me on this cockamamie quest that requires my energy, basically my life, to complete. Why do you think it was such a unanimous decision to let me ascend? They're feeling guilty. Their collective asses were screwed and I saved the day, losing my life in the process." Jack turned from his pacing and glared down at Janet. "I'm sorry if you don't approve of my reasons for ascending, but under the circumstances they can damn well kiss my ass."_

_"Jack…" Janet responded with utmost patience._

_Jack __sighed,__ making his whole body look like it was wilting. "See Janet…this is what I was talking about earlier. They shouldn't be offering me ascension. I don't fit in. I'm a rule breaker, always have been__, always will be__. I break rules to save lives…and I break rules for the hell of it.__This would not be a good fit Janet."_

_"I __disagree__ Jack." Janet smiled. "Yes, you have your faults, we all did. But above and beyond all of that you__ are a good person at heart__. If the decade since we met hadn't proved that, this last mission did. Despite all the selfish reasons you had to not complete the quest, you did anyway. You've proven yourself to the __Others__, now all you have to do is convince yourself."_

_"Why do you have so much faith in me Janet?"_

_"I've already told you Jack." Janet replied. When she saw that Jack needed to hear it again, she continued. "How long did we know each other Jack?"_

_"About seven years."_

_Janet nodded. "In that amount of time you were a pain in my ass when you were my patient," Jack smirked at that comment. "But despite that, I saw a man who cared not just about himself and his team, but about all the members of the SGC and the world. Saving the world wasn't just a job to you Jack. If it had been you would have retired long ago and not waited eight years to marry Sam."_

_Jack sat down again on the stairs and stared at the stargate. "It's been an incredible decade hasn't it?"_

_Janet smiled and nodded her agreement in silence._

_"You really have that much faith in my ability to do this?"_

_Again Janet simply nodded._

_"Any chance I can talk to Daniel one last time? Like he talked to me before he ascended."_

_"Of course Jack."_

**Λ**

After several hours of sleep, the entire team – even Rodney – had gathered back in the infirmary only to find that Jack was slipping away.

Being the consummate soldier, Sam was trying hard not to break down completely, but she couldn't hold back the tears as she watched Jack's vitals dip lower and lower. Daniel and Teal'c stood on either side of her, supporting her and guarding her as they always had, and always would.

This was how Jack found them when Janet took him to the infirmary. The scene brought back so many memories of the last time that his team was involved with a life or death or ascension situation. Walking over to Daniel, Jack placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder and the two were taken instantly back to Atlantis's gateroom.

**Λ**

_"Whoa, déjà vu."__ Daniel exclaimed as he looked around the room at the active stargate and at Jack before him._

_Jack chuckled. "Yeah, who ever thought that our roles would be __reversed?__" Jack's smile faded quickly. "You once told me Daniel that I had it within me to ascend, all I had to do was let go."_

_"I said that?" Daniel questioned._

_"Yeah, when I was a prisoner of __Ba'al__…and you were ascended."_

_Daniel nodded mutely as he fought back tears. "So Oma is offering you ascension?"_

_Jack shook his head. "No, Oma is forever locked in that battle with __Anubis,__ she won't ever be doing much else."_

_"How do you know that?" Daniel temporarily forgot the reason he was standing there in the first place._

_"A friend told me."_

_"A friend?"_

_Jack sighed. "Daniel…I never really told you guys what happened when I visited Lancelot. Unfortunately now is not the time or place, but there's someone who I'd like to reintroduce you to…" Jack pointed behind Daniel as his words trailed away._

_Daniel turned around. "Janet?" He managed to stammer out in his surprise._

_"Hi Daniel."_

_"But how?__ I was there…I __watched you die.__"_

_"Cliff notes version…" Jack interrupted. "Janet was originally the Lancelot I was supposed to be meeting with. She didn't want to ascend and so Merlin kept reincarnating her until she finally decided that she was ready to ascend and fulfill her promise to aid me in my quest."_

_Daniel looked between Jack and Janet. "And now you're here helping Jack ascend?"_

_Janet nodded. "The __Other's__ decided, after careful consideration, that Jack should be offered the chance to ascend."_

_"And you're taking it."_

_"Yes."_

_"Even though Sam is facing having your child and raising it on her own…you're going to take ascension." Daniel grew angrier as he spoke._

_"I'm dying Daniel!" Jack bit out in fury. "My only choices are a home with the worms or ascension."_

_"There's no other option?"_

_"If there was don't you think I would take it!?" Jack demanded._

_"Of course you would, Jack, I'm sorry." Daniel replied apologetically. "What can I do Jack?"_

_"Take care of them for me Daniel." Jack answered. "SG1, past and present, has always relied heavily on you to balance us out and help keep us together. So watch your back, I won't be there to pull you back from doing something stupid." Jack sighed. "I'm counting on you and Teal'c to __be the fathers that I won't be able to be." Jack chuckled slightly. "One of you will have to make sure that Jackie goes back to save my sorry ass."_

_Daniel nodded. "We'll take care of it Jack, I promise."_

_"One more thing Daniel."__ Jack looked over at Janet briefly. "I made a promise that I'm not going to be able to keep." Jack sighed. "I need you to promise me that you will destroy the sangral__ Daniel__."_

_"But Jack…"_

_"No Daniel!" Jack interrupted forcefully. "I know you would love nothing more than to get your hands on it and study it, you and every other blasted scientist beneath the mountain. __But the sangral poses a danger to all ascended beings, which will include me very shortly. If for no __other reason Daniel, destroy i__t for me. My existence will hang in the balance if you don't."_

_Daniel sighed. "You have my word Jack, the sangral will be destroyed."_

_"Thank you Daniel." Jack looked at the younger man briefly before pulling him into a brief man hug. "Take care of my family Daniel…and who knows, maybe we'll be seeing each other again__ soon__."_

_Daniel nodded as he fought the tears that were building up in his eyes._

_With a sad nod of his own, Jack turned toward the active stargate and began moving toward it._

**Λ**

In a quick moment Jack began to crash. Everyone was pushed back as Dr. Keller and her team attempted to bring Jack back.

**Λ**

_Jack could feel the effects of the defibrillator as Dr. Keller and her team attempted to bring him back._

_He turned and looked at Daniel, who simply nodded._

**Λ**

"Sam…" Daniel began tentatively as he wrapped an arm around his friend. "It's time to let him go. As hard as it is, you're only delaying the inevitable, making it harder on yourself."

Sam choked back a sob as she slowly nodded her head and turned her face into Daniel's shoulder, finally allowing the tears to flow.

Looking over Sam's head, Daniel locked eyes with Teal'c, who nodded solemnly.

"That is enough Doctor Keller. It is time to say farewell to our fallen brother." Teal'c said solemnly.

Dr. Keller stepped away from Jack's body sadly, wishing that there was something more she could have done.

**Λ**

_Daniel looked over Sam's head again, but this time at Jack._

_"Thank you Daniel."_

_Daniel nodded. "Goodbye Jack."_

**Λ**

In a surprising and quick movement, Sam tore out of Daniel's arms and flew to the side of Jack's bed. She grasped his hand, glancing only briefly at the flat lining monitor above his head.

"Please don't leave me Jack. Not now. Not as we've just begun our lives together. Please Jack, please."

**Λ**

_Jack glanced back over his shoulder at Sam._

_"Goodbye Samantha, I love you."_

_With a determined set to his jaw, Jack turned back around, refusing to look back at Sam, even as she continued to beg him not to leave her._

_"You said always Jack. You promised that you would always be there for me. Please __Jack,__ don't give up, not yet."_

_Janet stood at the very edge of the event horizon, waiting for Jack to join her. She couldn't help but take in the entire scene and feel a pull of sadness in her heart for the friends she had left behind so many years ago. She watched sadly as her best friend struggled to say goodbye to the love of her life, and as said love tried so hard not to break, not change his decision that meant he was still around, even if it was in a limited capacity._

_It wasn't long before Jack stood directly in front of Janet. Looking down at the shorter woman, Jack could see the sympathy and understanding in her eyes. It was almost enough to break him._

_"I'm sorry Jack. I can't do this. Consequences __be__ damned."_

_In an unexpected movement, Janet's hands were on Jack's shoulders pushing him back. He suddenly had the sensation that he was falling through darkness with no end in sight. Until he hit with a sudden jolt__ and a quick intake of breath._

**Λ**

Sam wasn't sure what surprised her more, the sudden heartbeat on the monitor above her head or the sudden intake of breath that ruffled her hair.

Everyone watched in stunned silence as Jack came back to life before their eyes. However, no one was quite as surprised as Daniel.

Jack's eyes flew open and he quickly scanned his surroundings, uncertainty and surprise paramount one his face and in his eyes.

"Daniel…"

"I don't know Jack."

_"Intruder in the gateroom.__Security to the gateroom."_

Due more to habit than anything else, Cam and Teal'c followed Jon out of the room to check out the disturbance.

Suddenly it was as if a light bulb went off over Jack's head. He turned and looked at Daniel, his eyes boring into Daniel's, willing him to understand. All Jack had to say was one word and Daniel understood:

"Janet."

In a flash, Daniel was out of the infirmary carrying a stack of blankets and a hospital gown.

**Λ**

Jon, Teal'c and Cam had to fight through a crowd of soldiers in order to find out what was wrong. Once they finally broke through, Jon and Teal'c stopped dead in their tracks at the sight that met their eyes. Before either could say anything, Daniel was tearing through the crowd, pushing past the two of them, and draping first the gown and then the blankets over the prone, unconscious, petite, and very naked feminine form before them.

"Call Dr. Keller! We need medical assistance." Daniel called impatiently.

"What is happening Daniel Jackson, how is this possible?" Teal'c finally found his voice again.

"I'll explain that later, but right now we need to get her to the infirmary."

Without a second thought, Teal'c stooped down and picked up the petite woman off the gateroom floor and rushed her to the infirmary. Keller and her team met them halfway. As Teal'c lowered the unconscious form to the gurney, the woman began to stir and blink her eyes.

"Where am I?" Suddenly the confusion turned to panic. "Who am I?"

Daniel hurried to the woman's side and placed a comforting hand on her forehead. "There's a lot that is going to need to be explained, but that can wait until after Dr. Keller has examined you. For now, I can tell you that your name is Janet Frasier and you are a military doctor."

Janet clung to Daniel's arm. "Why don't I remember anything?"

"You will, in time." Daniel smiled gently. "Don't worry, I went through this exact same thing, you'll be just fine."

**Λ**

Jack lay on his bed in the darkened infirmary, wide awake despite the order from Dr. Keller to get some sleep. As he glanced to the bed next to him, he thought about the events since Janet first came to him about ascending. As it dawned on him what exactly Janet had sacrificed, he slipped silently out of bed and, dragging his IV with him, he pulled a chair up next to her bed.

Janet stirred in her sleep and blinked open tired eyes. Taking in Jack's face she smiled slightly. "I know you. I don't know how, but I know you."

"You should," Jack replied quietly, returning her smile. "I'm the reason you're in this predicament."

Janet frowned in confusion. "What do you mean? How is this your fault?"

Jack sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Let me tell you a little story about two Air Force officers, a doctor of archaeology, an alien, a brilliant medical doctor and a secret world buried deep in the bowels of a mountain. And how our curriculum vitae intertwined so deeply that it crossed the line between life and death."

Janet's frown deepened at Jack's words. "Curriculum vitae?"

Jack smiled slightly as he realized that the Ancient knowledge hadn't been completely wiped from his brain, but was no longer controlling it. "Curriculum vitae…the course of one's life."

* * *

Don't forget...this is your second to last chance to review... 


	21. Epilogue

_Disclaimer: See Prologue…_

_A/N:__Sorry it took me so long to get this up. I had to find the Latin phrase I wanted to use at the end. I hope you guys have enjoyed this story._

**Chapter ****20****Epilogue ****–**

"You're doing great Sam." Janet smiled up at her friend. "Okay, one final push and…"

Wailing filled the room as Sam slumped back against her husband. Jack kissed the top of Sam's head as he wrapped his arms protectively around her tired body.

"You did great Sam, just great." Jack kissed the top of her head again. "I love you."

Sam nestled back into Jack and sighed in contentment to be surrounded by her family. "I love you too Jack.

Janet smiled at the two from across the room where she was checking the new baby. After Jack had told her about her life before, about her dying, and about the quest and its numerous events, Janet's memory had slowly but surely come back. Of course, coming back to the SGC and being reunited with Cassie had helped the process a lot. It was a couple short weeks before Janet remembered her medical training and began working closely with Carolyn Lam.

Daniel and Janet had spent a lot of time discussing the two times that he had died and come back thanks to Oma Desala. Those times had meant a lot to Janet as she struggled to fill in the still missing pieces of her memory. It came as a surprise when Janet showed up in Daniel's office with Jack in tow, to announce that she remembered why she'd been sent back. Both Jack and Daniel had of course guessed as to the reason, but were still surprised that the Ancients would allow Janet to remember it. The three had decided that it would be best if the truth was kept between the three of them.

Now, seven months since returning, Janet was thriving and fully loving being alive again. She turned her attention back to the baby in front of her and silently blessed her decision to go against the rules and intercede so that this baby would have a father.

"I should probably go get the others, they'll be anxious to know that everything is alright." Jack said as he carefully slipped out from behind Sam.

A few short minutes later, all of SG1 plus Jon were lined up outside the privacy curtain that was hiding Sam, with their backs facing the curtain.

"Is this really necessary Jack?" Daniel complained.

"Yes." Jack simply replied. Silently, Jack moved the curtain to reveal his family, a smile spreading across his face at the sight. Walking over to Sam he took their daughter from her arms and walked over to the others. "All of you have already met adult Jackie, but I would like to introduce you to Jacquelyn Danielle O'Neill." Jack announced as he moved so that his surrogate family could see the baby without turning around just yet.

Because Daniel was the closest, Jack handed the baby to him, and the others crowded around him to greet the new arrival. Without the others noticing, Jack slipped back to Sam's side quickly before returning to the rest of the group. Clearing his throat, Jack pulled everyone's attention away from Jackie momentarily.

"I'd also like to introduce Jacob Teal'c O'Neill, Jackie's little brother. J.T. this is your family."

"Twins?!" Vala squealed as she reached out for J.T.

Jack once again slipped back to Sam's side, this time to stay and watch as their family admired the newest arrivals. Janet slipped over to Sam's bedside to check her vitals before joining the others in admiring the babies.

"Thank you Janet." Jack said as she turned to join the others.

Janet looked up at Jack with a ready smile and retort that it was Sam who did all the work, but the words died on her lips as she saw the look in Jack's eyes.

"For everything."

**Λ**

"You going to miss commanding the _Sirius_ Jack?" Daniel asked as he and Teal'c walked with Jack down the halls of the SGC.

"Of course Daniel." Jack replied. "But I have to say my excitement at being a dad again and watching my kids grow up far outweighs any misgivings about leaving the _Sirius_." Jack continued as he stopped in the middle of the hallway. Suddenly, a look of pure glee spread across Jack's face.

"O'Neill to the _Sirius_."

"Jack, don't." Daniel grew serious as he recognized the look on Jack's face.

_"Mackenzie__ here, go ahead General."_

"Jack…"

"Me transmitte sursum, caledoni!"

As the white light of an Asgard beam enveloped Jack and disappeared, Daniel shook his head.

"That poor kid must be so glad Jack is handing over command today."

"I do not understand Daniel Jackson. What is it that O'Neill just said?"

"Beam me up, Scotty."


End file.
